Maybe This Time
by DisneyHead
Summary: A Gummi Bears/Gargoyles (Timedancer)/ Princess and the Frog crossover. Full summery inside. Rated T to be safe. I only own the pirates in chapter one, everyone else is property of Disney.
1. summery

A Gummi Bears/Gargoyles (Timedancer)/ The Princess and the Frog crossover.

This story is based on my theory that Dr. Facillier made his deal with his "Friends on the other side" to give himself an immortal life long before TPATF when he feared dying from a disease. The spirits have given him power and immortality as long as he feeds them human souls regularly, so he makes his move on Dunwyn. Meanwhile, Demona (already immortal) seeks the Gummies to help her get revenge on humans as she has learned how the ancient Gummies were driven away. The Bears refuse, so Demona allies herself with Facillier (as they share the same interests and she cannot kill him). At that time, the Phoenix Gate sends Brooklyn to Dunwyn (about a year since his time travels began), and he tries to ally himself with the Gummies to stop Demona, but there's a problem: Because of their encounter with Demona, Gruffi doesn't trust Brooklyn. For the Gummies, this takes place during the year gap in "King Igthorn" (closer to the begining).


	2. Chapter 1: The other side

**Chapter 1: The Other Side**

_The Atlantic Ocean, 1197_

It was not a good night for sailing. Even the most experienced sea dogs were no match for the raging storm, and the pirates on "Poseidon's Wrath" were no exception. Waves as tall as mountains crashed around the ship, forcing many of its men overboard. The Captain, a large and beefy gray-haired bearded man in dark blue uniform, tried in vain to take control over the hysteria that has come over the crew. It was one of those nights in which people cannot believe their luck could be so bad. The sort of time one looks for a scapegoat.

"Captain, Sir!" the first-mate cried out in a panic. He was a tall, agile man whose sparse brown hair was half hidden under a red bandana, and an eye-patch covered his right eye. His brown shirt and blue pants were dripping wet. "All our anchors have broken loose! We're heading for Davey Jones's locker tonight for sure!"

"Not while I'm Captain!" The Admiral shouted back. "I did not lead us in a dozen sea battles only to be defeated now!"

"There must be a Jonah aboard the ship!" the first- mate yelled so the Captain could hear him over the wind. "The prisoner must have called his demons on us!"

"Rubbish!" The Captain yelled. "He is only trying to unnerve you lily-livered dogs with his fortune-telling. Resume your post now, or it's forty lashes for you!"

The first- mate instantly dashed towards the crow's nest, but stopped by the grading on the way.

"You'll rue this night, Shadow man!" he bellowed at the prisoner below the deck. "You're not worth half the price you can fetch! The Captain should have you hanged!"

* * *

In the brig below, a skinny dark-skinned man smiled deviously, completely undisturbed by the ship's rocking. His lavender eyes scanned the shadows that danced in the dim light that was glowing from a small purple crystal ball on top of his cane.

"What do you say, my friends?" he chuckled. "Those sailors know nothing about summoning evil spirits. These little threats of theirs are getting old, aren't they?"

The shadows could make no sound, but they seemed to be shaking with mirth.

The Shadow Man held his cane closer to his eyes. He squinted a little, having some trouble getting them to focus. The images forming in the light of his cane were the only thing he could see clearly these days. The light seemed to be glowing brighter, almost as though it were on fire. Only, it was not an ordinary fire. It was forming an unusual shape, like a large bird. It was a phoenix.

The Shadow Man smiled. "Just a few more minutes, friends." He murmured. "We are about to be saved."

* * *

The wind howled mercilessly as it continued to blow rain and seawater into the crew's faces. The last of the pirates were barely holding their own, when suddenly the last few lanterns on the deck blew out, almost at once. The storm clouds had completely blocked the moonlight, leaving "Poseidon's Wrath" in total darkness. Swear words could be heard mixed with cries of horror.

Then, all of a sudden, a flash appeared in the sky, and seemed to set it ablaze. The pirates could only stare in awe for the first moment, but became even more alarmed when the fire seemed to be moving closer to the ship. At that moment there was no mistaking the fact that this flame was a creation of sorcery, appearing in the form of a giant phoenix. It did not matter that the light was otherwise making the task of securing the ship easier. The minute the unnatural phenomenon occurred, many pirates ran in horror and threw themselves overboard. Especially after seeing the creature the phoenix had spat from its beak onto the deck.

It was nothing like any of the pirates had ever encountered. The creature was a brick-red, wiry one that slightly resembled a small dragon. He had a long mane of white hair, two horns, a somewhat large nose and even larger beak, a long tail and pterodactyl- like wings. He wore a blue loin cloth fastened with a belt, into which a sword was tucked.

The storm seemed to let out seconds after the creature hit the deck, groaning in pain from the impact and shivering slightly as the rain hit him. He did not seem, at first glance, to notice where he was or the hysterical pirates around him. For a moment he could only glare at the phoenix flame, which was now retreating into the night sky.

"You've been doing this for almost a year, and you still haven't learned to make softer landings?" The winged creature grumbled. "Okay, Brooklyn, time to find out where and when you are this time," He muttered to himself, shaking his head in annoyance. He struggled to get to his feet, only to be knocked off them again when something sharp hit him across his back, causing him to roar in pain.

"Demon!" the first-mate shouted, towering over the creature with his blood-stained sword drawn. "I knew this would happen! The shadow man must have summoned this creature to attack us and bring this cursed storm!"

Brooklyn glanced around at the pirates, and his situation began to dawn on him. "Another gargoyle fan club, huh?" he asked them sarcastically. "Look, if I had the power to cause storms…"

It seemed pointless to explain, since the rest of the crew seemed to agree with the first-mate, and the gargoyle's words were drowned by pirates shouting "devil" and "monster." Brooklyn forced himself to get back on his feet, desperately trying to escape the mob that was coming after him with swords and whips. He dashed to the main mast, and using his claws, he climbed until he was high enough above the crew. He then spread his wings and leapt from the mast to the air, barely managing to glide on course with the violent wind still blowing. The gargoyle just managed to spot the Captain of the ship aiming a harpoon in his direction.

"That stupid phoenix must've sent me here for something better than this!" Brooklyn grumbled. He tried to get out of range, but unfortunately the wind was too strong for him to control his movement, and the harpoon pierced his wing. The gargoyle fell on the deck again with a heavy crash, this time hard enough to knock him out.

The first-mate moved closer to him, prepared to deliver the killing blow with his sword.

But the Captain held up his hand to stop him. "No," he said coldly. "If the Shadow man has sent him, he could send more like him. They could be more vindictive if we kill this one."

"But Captain, Sir," the first-mate argued. "We can't just let him go free."

"Take him to his master in the brig," the Captain ordered. "Now that this storm is letting out, we must secure the ship. Then the two of them can die together."

* * *

Brooklyn slowly opened his eyes, groaning in pain. He looked around, trying to figure out where he was. He seemed to be trapped below the deck of the ship, in a rat-infested cell. When he tried to move, he discovered his leg was chained to the wall. He sighed heavily and made to pry the cuff off with his claws, but this proved to be too difficult. His injuries have weakened him. Suddenly, he felt a hand touch his shoulder. Startled, he quickly looked up to find himself face-to-face with another man, apparently another prisoner of the pirates'.

The man was dark-skinned, tall and skinny, and was dressed in rags. His hair was dirty and messy, and his fingers were long and spider-like. But the man's most distinguishing feature was his heavily lidded lavender eyes, which seemed to brighten in the light from the crystal on his cane. The man did not seem in good health, yet he smiled at the gargoyle. Brooklyn thought he must still be a bit dizzy, because he could've sworn the man's shadow was moving independently on the wall.

"I've been waiting for you to wake up," the man whispered.

"Uh… That's good to know," Brooklyn muttered softly, a bit surprised this man did not seem afraid of him as the pirates were. "How long was I out?"

"They brought you down here almost an hour ago," the man answered. "At least, I think so. It's sometimes a little hard to keep track of time down here."

"Don't talk to _me_ about keeping track of time," Brooklyn replied, his voice heavy with irony. "I don't suppose you could tell me what year this is?"

"Eleven-ninety seven AD," the dark man replied, as though there was nothing unusual about Brooklyn's question. "And you are in the middle of the Atlantic, aboard a ship they call Poseidon's Wrath, if that's what you were going to ask next."

"You sure are good at telepathy," Brooklyn sighed, trying again to pry off his chains.

"You have no idea," the man smirked. "You're some sort of time-traveling gargoyle, aren't you?"

Caught off guard, Brooklyn dropped the chains with a loud clang. "How did you-?"

"I can sense magic has sent you here," the man answered. His voice was rather slick. "Like you said, I'm good at telepathy."

"Oh…" Brooklyn could only stare at the man in shock for a moment. Something about this man made him feel uneasy. Still, he was the only one there for him to talk to. "Listen, do you happen to know why those pirates haven't killed me yet? Last thing I remember is they were chasing me with their swords."

"I'm guessing they want to secure the ship first. They think killing you will attract more of your kind here before they're ready to handle it."

Brooklyn thought this over. The man's words sounded reasonable enough. "We've got to find a way out of here while they're still busy then. I just hope we have enough time until…"

"Until sunrise?" the man asked. "Before you turn to stone?"

This was a bit too much for Brooklyn. "Are you… are you some kind of wizard?" he asked.

"In a way," the man answered. "You can call me Shadow man. That's what they call me." He pointed his cane to the grating.

"I'm Brooklyn," the gargoyle told him. "How long have you been their prisoner?"

"Three months," the Shadow man replied. His voice was calm, though there was a clear sign of bitterness in his eyes. "Since they raided my tribe in West Africa. When they learned of my, er-_special_ talent, the Captain thought I could fetch a price in Europe. They're heading for France right now."

"You're from West Africa?" Brooklyn asked, still more surprised. "Then how did you learn English?" The Phoenix's magic may have included a universal translator, but after almost a year of bouncing through different times and places Brooklyn had gained enough experience to recognize what language was being spoken.

"My magic helps me adapt, just like that phoenix's," the Shadow man explained. "I mean, telepathy wouldn't be much use to me otherwise, right? And yeah," he smirked at Brooklyn's dumbfounded stare, "I know it was a phoenix that brought you here."

"The Phoenix Gate," Brooklyn told him, trying to get used to the idea he could not hide anything from this man. "Or at least, it was a gate before I broke it. The Phoenix inside it has been sending me on time travels ever since." It felt a little strange, telling this story to a perfect stranger, but it was also comforting to be able to talk to someone who would not be alarmed to hear about it. "So how do you know about gargoyles?"

"There was a clan protecting our tribe," the Shadow man told him with the same note of bitterness as before. "But the raid happened during the day, and the pirates destroyed them while they slept."

Brooklyn glared at the grating above him, feeling a sudden urge to charge at the pirates and introducing them to his claws, but he didn't dare to. He might put the Shadow man at risk if he attacked. He forced himself to remain calm. "But if you can perform magic, why didn't you use it against the pirates when they kidnapped you?"

"All forms of magic have their limits," The Shadow man answered. "I can't cast spells on myself, and my tribes forbids spell casting on other humans. And, as you can see," he wiggled his long fingers in front of Brooklyn's eyes, "my health isn't perfect. I couldn't fight or work my magic fast enough to save my life."

"Oh," Brooklyn sighed. Uncomfortable as he was around the Shadow man, he now felt rather sorry for him, mainly because he knew how it felt to be torn away from his home and mistreated by strangers. There was still much he wanted to ask about, but there were more pressing matters to deal with. "Then it looks like the Phoenix sent me here to help you escape."

"Escape?" the Shadow man asked in suspicion. "I don't know about that. There are several advantages to getting a free trip to France."

"But don't you want to get back home?" Brooklyn asked, confused.

"There's not much keeping me in Africa," the Shadow man replied.

"But don't you have a family there?" Brooklyn asked, somewhat cautiously. He knew from experience this kind of talk could become too touchy. "Or… friends who might worry about you?"

The Shadow man smirked. "They'll manage without me. But if you really want to know why you're here, I can help you find out." He pulled a small sealed bag from his pocket and untied it. He sprinkled some of the powder inside on Brooklyn's injured back and wing, causing the gargoyle to wince in pain. But a moment later, his wounds were healed.

Brooklyn smiled in gratitude as he gathered his renewed strength and pried the cuff of the chain off his leg. "Okay, thanks. That takes care of one problem."

"We'd better take care of the other problems quickly, since they're planning to kill us soon," the Shadow man told him.

"Us?!" Brooklyn was shocked. "Why do they want to kill you? I thought the Captain wants to make money off you."

"He did, but you're not-so-subtle arrival here scared him off the idea," the Shadow man told him.

Brooklyn felt chills run down his spine. "They think _you_ summoned me," he whispered, more to himself than to the Shadow man. He felt a rush of anger at the Phoenix now. He was a gargoyle, after all. His mission in life was to protect people. How could the Phoenix have sent him somewhere where his mere presence would endanger an innocent man?

"These pirates aren't known for being open-minded," the Shadow man told Brooklyn. "They've been afraid of me since I got here. Most of them were just looking for an excuse to execute me."

"Yeah, I can relate to that," Brooklyn agreed bitterly. "But if you're in danger here too, why don't you want to escape?"

"There may be something better than escape for us," the Shadow man sat beside Brooklyn, laying his cane between them. He blinked his eyes tightly for a moment, trying to focus them as he took Brooklyn's hand in his, staring straight into his eyes.

"Look, if you're talking about getting revenge," Brooklyn said nervously, "I don't think it's such a good idea. I know from experience it could only make things worse."

"We'll see about that," the Shadow man told him. "Now hush. You do want to help me, don't you?"

"Yes," Brooklyn replied, but not with too much confidence. "But what did you have in mind?"

"If we're in this together, I need to know…" he paused for a minute, trembling a bit as cold sweat spread across his brow.

"Are you okay?" Brooklyn asked, concerned.

The Shadow man wiped the sweat on his rags and took a deep breath. "I need to know more about you."

"Yeah, I thought you were short on knowledge of me," Brooklyn replied sarcastically. "Look, we can't waste time now. We can have a heart-to-heart talk after…"

"Hush," the man ordered him with such seriousness that Brooklyn was forced to obey. He stared into Brooklyn's eyes intently for a few silent moments, still grasping his hand. Finally, he seemed to have found something he was interested in. "I sense that you've had a fair share of injustice done to you," he whispered softly. "Humans have destroyed most of your family, haven't they? And others have hunted you purely out of fear."

Brooklyn tensed a little. He wanted to help the Shadow man, but he was not comfortable with the latter prying into his memories. "Well, you've seen how some humans treat gargoyles…"

"I also sense…" the Shadow man said between heavy breaths, "that you have a deadly enemy… a personal demon of some kind."

"Yeah, well," Brooklyn tried not to get angry. "I really don't want to talk about her right now…"

"And what's this?" The Shadow man continued, oblivious to Brooklyn's protesting. "A few heartbreaks... Unrequited love affairs, right?"

"Why is this important?" Brooklyn asked, now feeling so annoyed and violated he tried forcing his hand out of the Shadow man's grip, but the latter only grasped his hand more tightly, as though his own life depended on it.

Before Brooklyn knew what was happening, the Shadow man clutched his chest suddenly, and collapsed on the floor in agony. He seemed barely able to breathe.

"Sh-shadow man?" Brooklyn asked, now becoming alarmed. At the first moment, he was still not sure if this man was indeed ill, or if it was the effect of sensing Brooklyn's pain that was causing such a response in him. But then he remembered the earlier signs of illness he had seen in the Shadow man. Brooklyn didn't know much about diseases, but he knew a sudden onset of severe chest pains was likely to be fatal. If he didn't react immediately, his cellmate could die any minute. But he had no idea what needed to be done. All he could do was kneel helplessly beside the man, trying to help him lie on his back.

The Shadow man barely managed to look up and face Brooklyn. He tried to move his hand, pointing at the back of the brig. "Quick…" he panted heavily. "My pouch…"

Brooklyn rushed to where the Shadow man had pointed, and after several moments of desperate searching, he found several small pouches scattered on the floor. He grabbed all of them and rushed back to the sick man's aid, terrified. He had no idea which pouch was the one the Shadow man needed, and he doubted the latter were in any fit state to fish out the right pouch.

The Shadow man, however, did seem to know what to do. He took the largest pouch, and signaled Brooklyn to fetch his cane next, which he promptly did. The Shadow man then sprinkled the powder on the crystal, with Brooklyn holding his wrist steady.

Brooklyn waited anxiously for something to happen. It was now or never.

Finally, dense mist seemed to rise from the crystal. It was rapidly spreading as it ascended, soon filling the whole brig and completely surrounding Brooklyn and the Shadow man.

"Is this supposed to be a healing spell?" Brooklyn asked, unnerved.

The Shadow man didn't answer. A moment later, Brooklyn realized the two of them were no longer alone. He gasped as he caught sight of a shapeless, white and transparent figure floating next to him. It seemed to be some kind of demonic face, without a body. Then another appeared, and another. Soon there were hundreds of them filling the brig. The temperature seemed to drop considerably. It was almost too cold for even a gargoyle to stand.

"W-what are th-these things?" Brooklyn asked, trembling from the cold, and admittedly, fear.

"My… friends," the Shadow man addressed the figures weakly. "Please… I must ask for a… special favor… this time…"

The figures just laughed viciously. Their malicious voices hissed from every direction.

"_Special favor_?"

"_We are not healing spirits_."

"_Your illness has finally beaten you, Shadow man_."

"_Saving your life will cost you dearly_."

"Please!" the Shadow man pleaded. "I'll do whatever it takes…"

"_No_!"

"_If we stretch our powers, we will lose our grip on this earth_!"

"_Why waste our energy on you_?"

"If you save me, I'll help… I'll help you regain… enough energy…"

The ghostly figures froze in mid- air for a moment, their interest sparked.

The Shadow man took a deep breath. "Enough energy for you to regain bodies and live on earth again."

Brooklyn looked from the Shadow man to the spirits and back again. He did not like the sound of this. "What are you doing?!" He asked, appalled. "What _are_ these things?"

The spirits' faces twisted in a devious smile.

"_We accept_."

They joined together, forming one large ghost, which was now glowing brightly as though it were on fire. In its center a small red flame appeared, forming the shape of a red and black African mask, attached to a thick string. The remainder of the ghost detached itself from the talisman it had just created, with only its backend supporting it in mid-air, and floated to the Shadow man's side. Then, much to Brooklyn's horror, the ghost blew a silvery mist into the Shadow man's mouth. As it did so, the ghost shrank to the size of an apple, and dropped the talisman in the Shadow man's lap.

The Shadow man shut his eyes, and slowly sat up. He was no longer in pain. When he opened them, he discovered his eyes could see better than ever. He even felt stronger than he ever had in his life. He smiled brightly at Brooklyn, who did not look reassured.

"Are you healed?" the gargoyle asked skeptically.

"Looks like I am," the Shadow man replied. He picked up the talisman and donned it around his neck.

"_Now for your end of the bargain_," the small ghostly figure reminded him.

"I'm listening," the Shadow man answered.

"_Our gift will only prolong your life as long as you are able to pay your debt_," the ghost hissed. "_The talisman on your neck binds you to us. You may use it to keep your powers, but we will no longer help you expand them. This you must learn from other human sorcerers." _

"What?" the Shadow man was stunned. "That was not part of…"

"_Or would you rather give us back your life_?"

"Uh…" the Shadow man gave a nervous laugh. "All right, you win. I'll study with the best sorcerers I can find."

"_And_," the ghost continued, "_to help us regain our energy, you will be required to provide us regularly with the proper fuel_."

"The proper fuel?" the Shadow man asked, now feeling more nervous.

The ghost gave him a malicious smile. "_Human souls_."

"WHAT?!" Brooklyn was beyond appalled now. He felt sick. "Shadow man, you can't go through with this!"

The Shadow man, while also disgusted by the idea, did not seem eager to reject the offer right away. "Human souls for an immortal life?"

The ghost continued to smile triumphantly.

"You're not actually considering…" Brooklyn glared at the Shadow man. The sympathy he had felt for him before was rapidly fading. "You can't go down that path. It's not right, it's not worth an immortal life!"

"What choice do I have?" the Shadow man glared at him. "Die as a prisoner on a ship full of bigots? Give them the satisfaction of knowing that I'm going to hell?"

"You'd rather live forever without honor?" Brooklyn snarled. "You'd kill countless innocent people and steal their souls because you're afraid to die?"

The Shadow man got to his feet, glaring daggers at Brooklyn. "You helped me summon my friends from the other side, and saved my life," his voice was becoming more threatening by the second. "So if you don't interfere now, I'll spare yours."

Before Brooklyn could react, the Shadow man turned back to the ghost. "We have a bargain."

The ghost smiled again and vanished, along with the mist, restoring the brig to its previous appearance, which now seemed darker than before but still very cold.

Brooklyn stared at the Shadow man in shock and contempt. He was also beginning to feel angry at himself. There must have been a moment where he could have prevented this, even if he could not recognize it. Now it looked like there was only one way he could prevent the Shadow man from attacking innocent humans. With a furious roar, he lunged at the man, drawing his claws and aiming for the talisman.

Unfortunately, the Shadow man was ready for him. He seized another one of his pouches and threw it hard at Brooklyn, hitting his beak. Upon the impact, blood-red powder was released from the pouch.

Instantly, Brooklyn felt unbearable pain rush through him, enough to knock him off his feet. He screamed and thrashed around, trying to fight off the invisible tortures.

"I'm sorry it had to come to this," the Shadow man hissed coldly. "You would've made a great partner if you weren't so soft hearted."

Brooklyn couldn't reply. The pain was making it impossible for him to speak. He was sure the Shadow man would try to finish him off any minute, but just then the door to the brig opened, and Brooklyn saw a few pirates enter with their swords drawn.

The Shadow man was ready for them too. He grabbed another pouch and prepared to throw it at the pirates.

Brooklyn continued to hold his own against his tormentor, but the pain was so intense now that his eyes started to water. In his blurred vision, he was just able to get a glimpse of the sky from the grating, which he was now just under. The sky was beginning to look a bit brighter. Brooklyn now felt more afraid. If the sun rose with the Shadow man and the pirates in the brig with him…

But the situation was out of his hands now. Just before the sun came up, a familiar flame appeared beside Brooklyn. And for once, Brooklyn was pleased to find himself beak-to-beak with the Phoenix flame. He did not even care were it would take him this time. He just managed to catch a glimpse of the terror-stricken pirates and the furious looking Shadow man, before the Phoenix devoured him.


	3. Chapter 2: A breach in security

**Chapter 2: A breach in security**

_Ursalia, 1354_

"Isn't it time to go home yet?" Buddi moaned.

"Not until you've completed your six hours of training!" Ursa demanded.

The young Barbic cub was exhausted. He and Ursa had spent most of the afternoon hiking and mountain climbing, all in preparation for Buddi to unofficially "retake" his test of bearhood. It was past sunset now, yet Ursa refused to end the training session early.

"Why do I have to do this anyway?" Buddi complained. "You already said I've proven my worth the other day."

"You did," Ursa replied, with the faintest note of pride hidden beneath her frustration. "But I'd still like to see you able to handle all of nature's obstacles like a true Barbic. Anyway, you deserve another chance to take the test under normal conditions."

"You mean without you booby-trapping the canyon," Buddi pointed out to her.

"I knew you'd understand," Ursa said pompously, trying to hide her embarrassment. "Besides, we'd be through right now if you hadn't been playing with your flute all morning."

"But it's getting late," Buddi insisted. "I wasn't planning on taking the test at night anyhow."

"A Barbic must learn to be tough under any conditions," Ursa reminded him for what felt like the millionth time. "You're not going to let a little thing like the dark stop you…" Her voice trailed off for a moment. As she spoke, Ursa caught a glimpse of the mountain side from which she and Buddi had just climbed down, and what she saw made her feel slightly uneasy. There was a strange movement from the top.

"What?" Buddi asked her.

"I thought I saw something," Ursa replied. She squinted a little in the darkness, trying to get a better look. The shape in question was too far away to identify, but it seemed to have flown away. It definitely had wings. "It was probably just some animal…"

Buddi followed Ursa's gaze, and soon he was able to make out a flying creature in the dark. "Some kind of bird?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," Ursa replied softly, clutching the hilt of her sword. "Well, at least we can be sure it's not a human."

"Maybe Sir Thornberry will know what it is," Buddi suggested.

"Maybe," Ursa said, more to herself than to Buddi. "You know, I think I am a little tired tonight. Maybe we should head back."

"All right!" Buddi cried out, a little too enthusiastically for Ursa's taste.

"Now don't make a habbit out of it!" She told Buddi firmly. "It's just for tonight."

* * *

When Ursa and Buddi finally returned to their hut, Buddi headed towards the other Barbics for dinner, yet Ursa lingered behind for a moment. She could not shake off the uneasy feeling the winged creature had given her earlier. If she could only find out what it was…

"Don't wait for me," Ursa told Buddi. "I'm going on a hike. I'll be back later."

"We just got back from hiking," Buddi told her.

"I just want to patrol the city before turning in," Ursa replied. Before Buddi could argue, she all but ran to Ursalia's center.

When she was out of Buddi's sight, she entered one of the buildings, and headed to Ursalia's weaponry. Once inside, she searched the room. If the creature was dangerous, she wanted a weapon she could fire from a distance. A few minutes later, she found a crossbow.

"Perfect!" Ursa muttered to herself.

As she picked up the device, she suddenly became aware that she wasn't alone. Someone, or something, was towering over her. Ursa glimpsed at her supposed attacker's shadow on the wall, and instantly realized it was the winged creature she had seen earlier. And the creature was holding a mace in its hand.

Ursa gasped and spun around, aiming her crossbow at the intruder. The creature in question turned out to be a scaly dragon-like creature, and was obviously a female. Her hide was turquoise-blue, and she had long dark-red hair, and was dressed in what looked like a two-piece toga. She also wore a golden crown on her head and a gold bracelet was twisted around her left arm like a small snake. She held up her free hand to stop Ursa from shooting at her.

"Easy, my fine warrior," the creature spoke in a soft voice. She seemed to be used to handling armed warriors. She almost seemed to be smiling. "I am not here to harm you."

"You're trespassing," Ursa told her in her toughest voice.

"I apologize," the creature answered. "I was searching for a weapon and found this stronghold. You have more weapons here than you can possibly miss, so I came in. I have no intention of hurting you."

"How did you find out about this place?" Ursa asked, grasping her crossbow more tightly. "Who are you, anyway? And for that matter, _what_ are you?"

The creature smiled devilishly at her. "I am a gargoyle. You may call me Demona."

Ursa glared at her, but decided it was safe to lower her crossbow at least. She tossed it on the floor and grasped the hilt of her sword, but didn't draw it. "How did you find us?" she asked again.

"I've heard stories of your kind as a hatchling," Demona replied. "I didn't know if they were true, though. " Her voice suddenly turned very cold. "But for many years now I've been on the run from evil humans who have tried to hunt me down. I've looked for different places to hide during the day, and last night I stopped at the mountains outside your city. When I saw you and another Gummi bear at the base tonight, I knew the stories about you were true, and I remembered one about a powerful weapon hidden in your city, so I searched the place and found this room."

"You were searching for the ultimate weapon?" Ursa asked. She was beginning to sense where things were going. "To use on those hunters?"

"Among other things," Demona answered. "I'm sure, as a Gummi bear, you are aware of the evils human kind is capable of."

"Yes," Ursa agreed bitterly. "Humans have driven Gummies out of their homes for centuries now. So few of us are left here."

"Then you Gummi bears are willing to help me," Demona sounded pleased.

"You want to wipe out humans with the weapon," Ursa said this as a statement, not a question.

"Humans have not only hunted me, they have destroyed most of my kind." For a fleeting moment, Demona's eyes flashed red with rage. But she did her best to maintain composure. "Destroying them is the only way me and my kind can truly be free."

"I always knew most humans are evil," Ursa told her, torn between disapproval and sympathy. "But you can't use the ultimate weapon against them."

Demona glared at her. "Remember what humans have done to your ancestors, Gummi bear."

"I have no sympathy for those humans, if that's what you mean," Ursa told her, now becoming annoyed with Demona's patronizing tone. "But you can't have the ultimate weapon, because it was destroyed months ago."

"Destroyed?" Demona asked in shock.

"It was too powerful for us to control," Ursa explained. "It almost killed two of my friends. We decided it's better to get rid of it."

Demona's glare at Ursa became more threatening. "You Gummi bears are too soft for your own good," she snarled. "You should know warriors die in battles, but you cannot win if you don't fight hard."

Ursa refused to back down. "I'm the leader here, I'll be the judge of when to go to war or how to fight one." Much as she hated humans, she did not like the idea of helping this gargoyle. Demona definitely seemed more bothered by Ursalia's weapon being destroyed than by two Gummi bears nearly getting killed.

"Then you won't ally with me against humans?" Demona asked venomously.

"No," Ursa insisted, drawing out her sword. "And you're not going to bully me into it, either."

Demona growled. "You soft-hearted fool. If you continue down that path, you'll live to regret your decision." She looked for a moment as though she might attack Ursa, but thought better of it. Instead, she headed for the door. "Or rather, you won't. For the sake of other Gummi bears, I hope they'll have more sense."

Ursa glared at the gargoyle as she left. "Just who does she think she is, sneaking in here and threatening a Barbic?" She fumed, sheathing her sword. In her fury, she kicked the crossbow that lay by her feet. It flew to the area wear Demona had been standing moments before, crashing into a pile of old strategy books and maps. The artifacts scattered all over the floor.

"Oh, great…" Ursa muttered, walking angrily towards the spot to straighten it up. As she did so, she noticed one of the map books' binding had been messed with. It looked as though something sharp had punctured it from both sides. She turned the book over and discovered for more marks on either side. It was as though something with claws had been clutching the book.

"Uh oh…" Ursa whispered, her fury turning to tension. She opened the book and skimmed each map she could find. They all showed Gummi warrens, as well as human dwellings in their vicinity. But one page was missing. Ursa checked the next page's number, and searched the table of contents for the missing map. _Gummi Glen_.

* * *

Ursa quickly returned to the other Barbics at their main hut. "I'm going to Gummi Glen!" she announced.

"What?" Buddi looked stunned. Ursa never liked visiting the Glen Gummies before. Their home was too close to humans.

Gritty looked up at her from his dinner. "Why?" he asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes," Ursa told him. "Or something could be, anyway."

"Something that can't wait till tomorrow?" Gritty told her. "They'll all be asleep by the time you get there."

"I can't waste time!" Ursa insisted. With that, she stormed out of the hut.

"Wait!" Buddi called after her, rushing out himself, closely followed by Gritty.

"Ursa!" Gritty finally caught up with his wife just beside the quick cars. He grabbed her arm to stop her. "What's going on here?"

"Does this have something to do with that creature we saw earlier?" Buddi asked.

"Yes," Ursa replied. "I've just met her. She's a gargoyle, and from the looks of it, an evil one. I don't know how long she's been snooping here, but she could be heading toward Gummi Glen as we speak."

"Then I'm coming with you," Gritty told her. "She could be too dangerous for you to handle alone."

"I don't need you to come!" Ursa protested. "And I've already faced her alone!"

"I'm not doing this to protect you, I'm trying to protect the Glens," Gritty retorted, knowing Ursa would accept this explanation. "You can't protect all of them at once, and they sure can't protect themselves."

"Oh, all right!" Ursa agreed in frustration. "You can come."

"I'm coming too!" Buddi announced. He had never visited the Glens at their home yet, and did not want to miss this opportunity.

"No, you're not!" Ursa scolded at him. "I don't need to worry about you too!"

"If I could do a test of bearhood, I should be able to handle a gargoyle!" Buddi argued, climbing into the quick car and fastened his seatbelt. "And the Glens are my friends too!"

Ursa looked like she obviously wanted to counter argue, but by now she felt she had lost too much time. "Fine!" she growled, climbing into the driver's seat with Gritty alongside her. "But you're staying close to us at all times!"

* * *

_Gummi Glen_

"Please, Grammi!" Sunni pleaded with the Glen's matriarch. "Can't we practice making juice tomorrow night?"

"No, Sunni! You've been putting this off all week!" Grammi scolded, setting a pot on the kitchen stove.

"But Calla invited Cubbi and me to spend the night!" Sunni whined. "She'll be hurt if we don't go."

"She's smart enough to understand you have chores to do," Grammi insisted. "And Calla doesn't shirk her responsibilities either. Besides, last time you spent the night there you were nearly killed by the royal exterminator."

"Cubbi has a big mouth," Sunni moaned. "But anyway, rats don't come out this time of year, so the exterminator won't be working!"

Before Grammi could reply, the kitchen door opened and Zummi joined the two. "Hey, is everything all right in here?" He asked, smiling slightly. "I thought it was a little too quiet."

"Very funny!" Grammi shot at him. "Would you please explain to Sunni that learning to make gummiberry juice is more important than spending a night in a castle?"

"But Calla invited me!" Sunni repeated herself. "King Gregor is away on a diplomatic mission, so we can have some privacy for once!"

"Now, Sunni, you know you shouldn't put off your chores for too long," Zummi told her gently.

"I know," Sunni replied. "But I said I'd help tomorrow."

"And I said you've been playing the tomorrow card all week!" Grammi yelled at her.

"Oh, c'mon, Grammi," Zummi tried to appease her. "There haven't been ogres around here for weeks now. The juice can wait one more day. How often do the kids get the chance to spend the night at Dunwyn?"

Sunni beamed at him. "So you're saying Cubbi and I can go?"

"It's all right with me if it's all right with Grammi," Zummi answered, but nearly regretted this when he caught sight of the look Grammi gave him. He responded by giving her a guilty smile.

"Oh, all right," Grammi sighed in frustration, turning her glare to Sunni. "But if you try to weasel away from your chores tomorrow, I'll ground you for a month!"

"I won't!" Sunni cried out happily. She gave Zummi a quick hug and kiss on the cheek, and rushed out of the kitchen to get Cubbi.

Grammi resumed glaring at Zummi. "I should be grounding _you_ for a month for this," she scolded.

"I'm sorry," Zummi told her. "But you know how hard it is for the kids not to have friends their age in the Glen. I thought it would be a shame for them to miss this chance."

Grammi softened a little. "Well, next time you disagree with me, would you at least tell me in private before you take charge?"

"I promise," Zummi reassured her. "Uh… do you want some help with making dinner tonight?"

Grammi raised her eyebrow at him, knowing he was still trying to appease her. "Not in the kitchen, I don't need food flying all over the place. If you want to help, go set the table."

Zummi nodded and walked over to the kitchen drawers, opening the one containing the silverware. He knew he wouldn't be able to carry all he needed at once, so he pulled a paper from his pocket.

"Don't even think about it!" Grammi said firmly.

Zummi sighed and put the paper back in his pocket, then grabbed a few knives and forks and headed towards the dining room.

Half way through setting the table, Gruffi and Tummi joined Zummi, and both were carrying tools.

"Please, Gruffi, can't this wait until after dinner?" Tummi asked.

"Nothin' doin'!" Gruffi shot back. "Defending the Glen is not something you can put off!"

Zummi looked up from his work. "Are you about to set more traps?"

"No, I just wanted to seat my tools at the table," Gruffi replied sarcastically.

"Well, you were always too attached to them," Zummi teased him.

"What are you in such a good mood over?" Gruffi asked, annoyed.

"Nothing," Zummi answered, trying to hide his smile.

"Oh, Great Gummies!" Gruffi moaned, smacking himself on the forehead. "You went to Drekmore again today, haven't you?"

"Well… someone has to keep an eye on things there," Zummi confessed.

"And Iggy and his ogres are still gone?" Tummi asked.

"Over two months now," Zummi replied happily.

"That doesn't prove anything!" Gruffi argued. "He can still be back any day!"

"But it means we can eat dinner before setting traps!" Tummi counter-argued. "C'mon, Gruffi, we can't work on an empty stomach."

"When does your stomach ever get empty?" Gruffi shot back.

* * *

Demona glided over the forest of Dunwyn, alternatively glanced at the map in her claws and at the scenery beneath her. No one seemed to be out except for nocturnal animals. If she wished to find any Gummi bears, she would have to get inside their warren somehow. Several moments later, she spotted a large tree over a brook. The tree had a rather unusual shape, as though it had slides on the trunk. Demona glanced at her stolen map again, staring hard at a red X marking over a picture of a tree.

"This must be the place!" Demona whispered to herself. She landed beside the tree and walked around it, examining it closely for a way in. There seemed to be six small, round doors blending with the bark of the tree. But how to open them? Demona searched and found a lever at the side of the trunk. She pulled it, and the six doors popped open.

Demona growled in frustration. Those doors were definitely too small for her to fit through. She pulled the lever again and the doors closed. She circled the tree a few more times, and finally found a bigger door by one of the top branches. She knew she'd have a better chance of squeezing into it if she widened the opening a little. Using her claws, she pried the door from its place, and started tearing away more bark.

At that moment inside the Glen, Zummi helped Grammi clear the dinner table, while Gruffi and Tummi gathered Gruffi's tools. The latter two started heading outside for setting ogre traps. Tummi hurried a few feet ahead of Gruffi, determined to show the older bear he was serious about doing the job.

Tummi opened one of the six front doors, tossed the tool box outside, and just barely managed to climb out of the door. He slid down the trunk and bumped into the toolbox, landing with a thud.

"I think that door is getting smaller," Tummi mumbled to himself. He got to his feet, and started gathering the scattered tools, returning them to the toolbox. He paused, however, when he heard a movement by one of the top branches. He looked up to spot someone standing there. Someone unknown to him.

Tummi took a few steps closer. It was a little too dark to make out who was there, but after another step he felt flecks of sawdust hit his face. Whatever was up there was obviously tearing down the Glen's front door.

"Hey, stop that!" Tummi scolded, trying to sound tough. He climbed back on one of the slides, trying to get a closer look at the intruder.

Demona did stop clawing at the door, and crouched lower under the branches so that the moonlight could reach her. Tummi caught full sight of her face now. He gasped and froze in his tracks.

"You… uh…" He gulped and held up his index finger. "One moment, please." He backed away and opened the small door furthest from the gargoyle.

"GRUFFI!" he screamed into it.

Demona chuckled slightly and jumped of the branch. "Don't be afraid," she told Tummi as she approached him. "I was trying to find a way in."

"W-why?" Tummi asked.

"I've heard of your kind and wanted to meet you," Demona answered, stepping closer to Tummi. "I think we might be able to help each other."

"Uh… yeah, well," Tummi backed away as close as possible to the open door. "It's nice to meet you, but we have all the help we need here, so…" losing his nerve, he turned to scream into the door again. "GRUFFI!"

The scream was unnecessary, however, since at that moment Gruffi arrived at the door, closely followed by Zummi and Grammi. Gruffi flinched as Tummi's scream fell to close to his ear, and nearly bumped into Zummi in the process.

"Oh, sorry," Tummi told him as he realized the others have arrived.

"What's going on here?" Gruffi glared at him.

Tummi gulped again. "We… uh… have a visitor."

"What visitor?" Gruffi asked, a little edgy. "Not Igthorn?"

"No," Tummi replied. "You'd better see for yourself."

Demona smiled slightly as she backed away from the tree, making sure all three of the older Gummies were out before showing herself to them.

"Now Tummi, what's all this about?" Zummi asked.

Tummi pointed a trembling finger at Demona's direction. "Look over there!"

The older Gummies turned, and just like Tummi, they too had gasped and froze as soon as Demona came into view.

Demona chuckled softly. "At last we meet."

"Who are you?" Grammi asked, having just found her voice.

"I am Demona," the gargoyle replied. "I was seeking you because I am in need of assistance."

Gruffi managed to tear his eyes away from her long enough to spot the ruined door nearby. "What did you do to our door?" he asked.

Demona ignored the question. "My clan had legends of gargoyles and Gummi bears working together to protect their homes," she told the bears.

"You're a gargoyle?" Zummi asked, feeling slightly less afraid now.

"Yes," Demona answered. "I suppose you are familiar with the old legends too?"

"They sound familiar," Zummi told her. "But since the ancient lummies geft, uh, Gummies left, we haven't been around gargoyles."

"And what was it that made your kind leave?" Demona asked, in a tone implying she already knew the answer.

"Well…" Zummi began, feeling rather uneasy. "Th-they were driven across the ocean."

"By humans," Demona stated. "They attacked your warrens and tried to steal your secrets, is that correct?"

Zummi didn't answer right away, but soon Grammi intervened. "But why did you come looking for us after all these years?"

"Before I didn't know you really existed," Demona answered.

"So far we've been lucky," Gruffi glared at her. No matter how charming this creature appeared to be, Gruffi was sure she was trouble.

Demona glared at him but chose to ignore this remark too. "I've recently come across one of your cities and learned the truth," she explained. "And I learned your warren was still inhabited, though it is too close to the humans."

"We defend the humans in this kingdom," Grammi told her. "Most of them are decent people."

Demona eyed her suspiciously.

"Our ancestors stayed behind to preserve the Glen," Zummi explained. "To work for the day humans and Gummies can reach peace."

"Humans are not capable of reaching peace with each other," Demona told them, her voice becoming a bit threatening. "I've seen too many of their wars. You cannot possibly expect them to want peace with you."

"But not all humans are like that," Tummi spoke up, feeling less afraid now that the older bears were handling the situation.

"There are not enough innocent humans to stop the evil ones," Demona continued in the same threatening tone. "I was rather hoping you'd have the sense to understand."

"Understand what?" Gruffi all but shouted at her. "What did you want from us so badly you had to try breaking into our home?"

Demona looked at him straight in the eye, becoming more furious by the minute. "I want you to help me get rid of the humans."

For a moment, the Gummies could only stare at her, looking appalled. Only Gruffi seemed to have expected this and was glaring at the gargoyle with a fury to rival her own.

"You can't do this!" Zummi tried to reason with Demona. "We've met some good humans while defending them! This isn't right and you know it!"

"I know that humans are responsible for all the evils that befell my clan!" Demona snarled, clenching her fists. Her eyes flashed in red.

"Except for you, that is!" Gruffi shot at her. "Now beat it! We don't need some dragon lady telling us what to do!"

Demona roared viciously, losing her temper completely. She drew out her claws and leapt at Gruffi, knocking him over backwards. Before the rest could stop her, she struck Gruffi on the side of his body with her claws, causing him to yell in pain.

"STOP THAT!" Grammi yelled at Demona, rushing to Gruffi's aid.

"Leave him alone!" Zummi shouted. He and Tummi followed Grammi closely.

All three bears pulled out their flasks of gummiberry juice and guzzled them down, bouncing to the arena and knocking Demona off of Gruffi and onto a nearby rock.

Demona struggled to get to her feet, roaring at the bears fiercely. Her leg ached and throbbed. Looking down, she discovered a black-and-blue bruise on her thigh. That juice they had drunk was a powerful weapon. Given the state of her leg, Demona knew her fighting skills would be compromised against these bouncing bears. She knew she must end the struggle for the time being.

"You'll be sorry for this!" she hissed at the bears, limping to the tree trunk and clawing her way up. "This isn't over!" When she was several feet high, she spread her wings and glided away from Gummi Glen.

Tummi followed Demona with his eyes until she was out of sight. "She's gone!"

Zummi and Grammi, meanwhile, tried to help Gruffi to his feet. "Are you alright, Gruffi?" Zummi asked in concern.

"I'll live," Gruffi moaned, wincing in pain. "I'm more worried about that monster coming back and attacking us again."

"She won't be back before tomorrow night," Zummi assured him. "Gargoyles turn to stone during the day, and she'll want her leg to heal."

"Good," Gruffi said weakly. "That'll give us enough time to set traps."

"You're not setting any traps before I treat that," Grammi said firmly, nodding at Gruffi's wound.

"I'll do it," Tummi volunteered, giving Gruffi an apologetic look. "I know I should've helped sooner."

"Well, I'm not sure ogre traps would've been enough anyway," Gruffi admitted. "We need something bigger."

* * *

_Gusto Falls, several hours later_

"AWK! You got something against a decent night's sleep?" Artie Deco was irritated. It was one thing to watch his Gummi friend work on weird art projects every day, but he was beginning to be fed up with Gusto waking him up at night too.

"I am in the midst of a major rut!" Gusto announced dramatically as he led the way down the waterfall in his elevator, carrying his art supplies. "Artie, do you realize it's been over forty-eight hours since I finished my last project? I can't sleep until I can come up with a new brilliant idea for a masterpiece!"

"And then you won't be able to sleep until you finish it!" Artie grumbled.

"I knew you'd understand," Gusto told him.

Once they reached the ground level, Gusto instantly rushed to set up his easel.

"You couldn't wait until morning to do this?" Artie moaned.

"It's almost morning anyway. Maybe the sunrise will provide some inspiration," Gusto replied. "And if I don't get some inspiration soon, I will lose my mind!"

"Or what's left of it, anyway," Artie muttered.

"You're beginning to sound like Gruffamundo," Gusto teased him. "Now come on, help me be a lookout. Let me know if you see anything new or unusual."

Artie reluctantly perched on top of the easel and scanned the area with his eyes. A few seconds later, he caught sight of something that definitely fell under "unusual." He squawked loudly, and Gusto, too, turned to see what caught the toucan's eye.

It was a bright light that appeared suddenly in the sky, like a fire. As it came closer, the companions noticed the flame took the shape of a large phoenix. Gusto instantly grabbed his brush and prepared to paint the flame, when something even more unusual stopped him.

The phoenix opened its beak, and spat something by the riverbank. Gusto was a bit blinded from the light at first to make out what it was, but before he knew it, the phoenix flame had retreated into the night sky and vanished.

"No, wait!" Gusto called to it, deeply disappointed. He sighed heavily, but a second later, his disappointment was replaced with fresh excitement. The "thing" the phoenix had spat remained, and now Gusto realized it was alive. And it was a creature unlike any he had ever seen.

Brooklyn barely managed to get to his feet. The torture spell he had endured during his last time travel was starting to wear off, though he was still very sore. And another less-than-soft landing from the phoenix was not making things easier.

"Cutting it a little close this time, aren't you?" Brooklyn muttered to himself.

"WOW!" Brooklyn heard an unfamiliar voice call. "Don't move! Don't change! I finally found a subject for my newest masterpiece!"

Brooklyn soon spotted the voice's owner. It was some sort of light-blue furry creature that bore a strong resemblance to a bear, except it was walking on two feet, and was small and clothed. When he approached him, Brooklyn noticed the creature was staring at him through his paws, which he held up like a frame. He didn't have fangs or claws either.

Gusto came closer now, examining Brooklyn from different angles through his paws, ignoring the gargoyle's confusion. "Oh yes, I'll call this one _visitor from the flames_ or _phoenix spawn_… or, I don't know, I'll decide later…"

"Excuse me," Brooklyn said weakly, trying to stay upright. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Gusto lowered his arms. "Wow, you talk, too," he beamed. "This is better than I thought. Too bad about that fire bird being gone, but it's still a once in a lifetime opportunity to paint a- what are you, exactly?"

"I'm a gargoyle," Brooklyn replied.

"A gargoyle," Gusto repeated dreamily. "Oh, this is amazing! I will paint you against my waterfall!"

"Hold it!" Brooklyn piped up. "Are talking about having me pose for a painting?"

"Of course!" Gusto told him. "This is your lucky night, you are about to become a work of art! Ever done any posing before?"

"No," Brooklyn answered. "And I can't do it now, I…" He took a deep breath, still trying to fight off his pain. "I need some rest right now…"

"Sorry, pal, my creative juices are already boiling," Gusto said enthusiastically, failing to notice Brooklyn's frail state. He brought his easel closer to the gargoyle and picked up his brush. "What's your name, anyway?"

"Brooklyn," the gargoyle replied, annoyed.

"Strange name," Gusto said. "I like it. Brooklyn, I'm Augustus Gummi, Dunwyn's resident artiest. You can call me Gusto."

While still annoyed, Brooklyn couldn't help but be a little intrigued by this introduction. "This is Dunwyn?" He asked. "And are you… a Gummi bear?"

"Ah, so you know about us?" Gusto asked. "By the way, you're not supposed to move when you pose."

Brooklyn glared at him. He was in too much pain to keep his temper now. "Look, will you stop it? I said I can't…" But before he could tell Gusto off, Brooklyn noticed the sky was looking brighter. He still had no idea in what year landed in, but conveniently, the phoenix had dropped him at Dunwyn a little before sunrise. "On second thought, maybe posing for a while isn't a bad idea."

"I knew you'd like it," Gusto said. "Now let's see… how will I have you pose?"

"How about like a gargoyle defending his castle?" Brooklyn suggested. "You can call it, _defender of the night_."

"Defender of the night…" Gusto repeated. "I love it! Okay, show me how you'd protect a castle."

Brooklyn smirked to himself, making a final effort to rise to his full height. He held out his arms like he were fighting off an enemy, opening his beak to bare his teeth. Once he had the pose, the sun finally came up, turning Brooklyn into stone.

Gusto was taken aback for a moment, staring at Brooklyn. He definitely didn't expect that to happen. But a moment later, he was beaming again. "Perfect! Hold that pose!"


	4. Chapter 3: An Alliance Long Forgotten

**Chapter 3: An Alliance Long Forgotten **

_Gummi Glen_

After their horrifying encounter with Demona, no one in Gummi Glen was able to have a proper night's sleep. Repairing the broken door took half the night as Gruffi was in no state to work after Grammi had bandaged his wounds. Moreover, they had decided to take turns staying awake, determined not to let the gargoyle sneak up on them while they slept. It was only when dawn drew near that they allowed themselves to relax.

"So what did you find out?" Gruffi asked Zummi as the latter joined him, Tummi and Grammi in the family room.

"Nothing that would help us against _her_," Zummi replied wearily. He had spent most of his waking hours in the library, trying to research on gargoyles. He all but collapsed into one of the armchairs, looking disappointed as well as exhausted. He could not remember a time when the Great Book of Gummi had failed to provide him with knowledge he needed. "Any references to real gargoyles in the Great Book are about times the ancient Gummies fought alongside them to protect innocent humans. There were no records of evil gargoyles, so there's no information about how to handle them."

"What about that gargoyle that attacked Dunwyn two years ago?" Grammi asked.

"That was different," Zummi replied. "That wasn't a real gargoyle, it was a weapon forged by an evil wizard. But this Demona is a true gargoyle hatched from an egg."

"That's one egg I would've liked to turn into an omelet," Gruffi moaned, clutching the side of his now bandaged body painfully.

"That reminds me," Tummi piped up. "Is it time for breakfast yet?"

"Not now!" Grammi scolded him. She turned her attention back to Zummi. "You mentioned last night that gargoyles turn to stone during the day?"

"Yes," Zummi answered. "They usually defended people during the night while the ancient Gummies took over during the day. The gargoyles also have the advantage of being rejuvenated while they sleep."

"I guess our best chance to get rid of her is finding her during the day," Gruffi said. "If she's turned to stone…"

"Gruffi, we can't do that!" Zummi told him firmly. "Gummies and gargoyles used to be friends. Destroying one while she sleeps is an act of ultimate betrayal, no matter how evil she is!"

"You've seen what she's like, she'll kill us if we don't kill her first!" Gruffi retorted.

"I'm not saying we shouldn't fight her, but not like that!" Zummi shot back. "Just because she doesn't fight with honor doesn't mean we shouldn't if we can help it."

Gruffi glared at him for a moment, but then sighed softly. "Fine. I guess you're right." He tried to lean back in his chair, wincing in pain. "I guess we're back to square one. I'll have to build a trap big enough to catch her."

"Gruffi, you're in no condition to build anything," Grammi told him. "I'll have to prepare an extra batch of juice. It's just as well Sunni and Cubbi weren't here last night." She glanced at Zummi and noticed he was restraining himself from smirking at her. "Don't give me that look!" She half-snarled at him.

Zummi was spared replying, because at that moment the four bears heard a suspicious sound somewhere in the Glen.

"The quick tunnel door!" Gruffi cried out. He forced himself to get up from his chair and would likely have fallen on the floor had Tummi not caught him at the last minute.

"She can't be back now, can she?" Grammi asked, suddenly on edge. "It must be passed sunrise already."

"Let's check it out," Gruffi said, freeing himself from Tummi and hobbling toward the hallway with the others following closely. As they approached the quick tunnel door, the Glens heard raised voices on the other side.

"I told you not to come with us!" a shrill feminine voice was heard. "We lost so much time because you had to almost get yourself killed in those traps!"

"I helped you get out some of those traps too!" a child's voice counter-argued.

"It's the Barbics!" Zummi told the others, who visibly relaxed.

"That monster could be attacking the Glens as we speak, and we spent the night dodging lava bubbles and carnivore plants!" Ursa was fuming, and from the sound of it, she had just reached the other side of the door.

Grammi almost laughed as she opened the door. "Well, you made excellent time under the circumstances."

Ursa, Gritty and Buddi stared, a bit caught off guard. Ursa quickly recovered and turned her fury to Gruffi. "Isn't it about time you finished building those tracks between here and Ursalia? How are we supposed to get to you in time to warn you about attackers?"

"I do have other projects besides those track, you know!" Gruffi shot back at her as the Barbics entered.

"You came all this way to warn us from an attacker?" Zummi asked, determined to stay on topic.

"Yes," Gritty replied. "Ursa ran into some sort of monster last night, and we knew it was too much for you to handle if it came after you."

"You mean Demona?" Tummi asked.

The Barbics stared at him, looking a bit surprised. "So you met her already?" Ursa asked.

"Unfortunately," Gruffi replied, clutching his wound.

"What happened?" Grammi asked Ursa. "Did she attack you too?"

"They can explain later," Gruffi spoke up before Ursa could answer. "We only have until sunset to prepare a trap for her, and I've gotta find the right blueprints. I'm sure the ancients had something that would work against her…"

"Why sunset?" Buddi asked.

"Because Demona is a gargoyle," Zummi explained. "She'll be in stone sleep until then."

"Oh," Buddi looked around the hallway. "Where are Sunni and Cubbi?"

"At Dunwyn castle," Grammi replied. "They spent the night there. They should be back in a few hours."

"Oh, okay," Buddi seemed a bit relieved. On the journey he had imagined horrors of what could've happened if the gargoyle attacked the Glens before the Barbics reached them.

"Well, I'm not wasting any more time," Gruffi announced, turning to leave. "Are you all going to help me search for those blueprints?"

"Training how to fight her is a better use of our time," Ursa commented. Still, she followed Gruffi and the others as they headed toward the workshop. "But there isn't enough hope for you Glen Gummies in that field."

* * *

_Dunwyn's Courtyard_

"I can't believe we've managed it," Sunni exclaimed happily. "Spending the night in Dunwyn without getting in trouble must be a new record for us."

"Yeah, next time it'll be easier to get the grownups to let us go," Cubbi smiled.

The two siblings had just said goodbye to Cavin and Calla at the castle, and were now occupied with trying to reach their escape tunnel at the courtyard, as all the ones in the castle were out of their reach during the staff's busiest hour. The courtyard was at its most active time too, but the options of taking cover there were better for Sunni and Cubbi.

"Maybe we should've waited a little longer," Sunni pointed out, staring at an area where a large crowd was gathering. "It's usually quieter here around noon…"

"No, this is better," Cubbi told her. "With all these people working or shopping, they won't notice us."

"Well, I guess so…" Sunni grudgingly agreed. She resumed staring at the busy crowd, trying to see what was catching its attention. They seemed to be attracted to a stand beside some kind of fortune-teller's tent. "That's never been there before," Sunni pointed out.

Cubbi followed Sunni's gaze to the tent. "Yeah, you're right," he said, his curiosity growing. "Maybe we should check it out."

Sunni hesitated, knowing they shouldn't miss their chance to sneak past the Dunwynians without being seen, but she could not help feeling curious about the fortune-teller's tent as well. "Okay," she agreed. "But let's not tell the others about this."

"I'm not stupid," Cubbi told her. "Let's go."

They sneaked quietly behind the long line of Dunwynians, finally taking shelter behind a closed fish stand, only a few feet from their goal. Apparently the seller had closed shop to check out the fortune-teller's stand too.

"Step right up, ladies and gentlemen," announced the man by the tent. He was a tall, skinny man with long spidery fingers and dark skin, and he wore long, black robes. From the sound of his accent, he was not from Dunwyn. "Try some of Dr. Facilier's special snooze powder. An old family recipe that will guarantee you a full night of sound sleep."

"Who is that guy?" Cubbi asked.

"I've never seen him before," Sunni replied. She stretched out her neck for a closer look.

"Come on now, miss," Dr. Facilier called to a young woman in the crowd. "You don't want those pretty eyes getting bags under them, do you?"

The woman giggled slightly as she handed him a few coins, taking a powder pouch.

"It's just another salesman," Sunni told Cubbi. "He probably just put that fortune teller's tent there to make his stand more interesting."

"Maybe," Cubbi agreed, disappointed. He had been hoping for something more exciting than a simple sleeping powder.

As the two bears tiptoed away, more Dunwynians started heading towards them, all in awe by Dr. Facilier's stand. Within moments, a line of people stretched as far as the eye could see.

"Uh-oh," Cubbi said, as he and Sunni ducked behind anything in their way, trying to stay out of sight. "Maybe we shouldn't have come here."

"How are we supposed to get to our escape tunnel now?" Sunni asked nervously.

Cubbi looked around, but the only hiding place he could think of seemed reckless, even for him. "Let's get inside the tent!"

"What?!" Sunni was shocked.

"No one's looking," Cubbi told her. "We can hide there until that man goes back in and the people leave. Then we just sneak past him."

"This is crazy," Sunni told him. "We can't just… Cubbi, wait!" She almost yelled as her brother had already dashed towards the tent. Sunni looked around to make sure no one was looking, then headed towards the tent herself, and the two cubs scrambled under the cloth to get inside.

At once, it became clear to the young bears they had been wrong about Dr. Facilier being just an ordinary salesman. The inside of the tent was full of artifacts the likes of which they had never seen. There were shelves stocked with jars full of potion ingredients, including one that looked like it had a dead frog floating in slime. Over the shelves was a collection of masks with spooky faces, and an ancient looking sword hung on one of the walls. Cubbi stared at the sword in admiration while Sunni scanned the rest of the tent with her eyes.

"I guess checking out the place wasn't such a bad idea after all," Cubbi said.

"I don't know about that…" Sunni replied, feeling a little nervous. The tent's flap was a bit open, letting in only Dr. Facilier's shadow. Perhaps it was only the creepy atmosphere of the place, but Sunni could've sworn the shadow was watching them. "I hope we don't have to be here long."

On the outside of the tent, Dr. Facilier continued to hand out pouches to paying customers. "Trust me, my friends," he announced in a smooth voice. "Just take a teaspoon before bed, and you'll be sleeping like babies throughout the night, giving your souls just the kind of rest they need."

* * *

_Gusto Falls, several hours later_

"It's terrific-o!" Gusto exclaimed, admiring his work. "This just screams brilliance! Best portrait of a gargoyle I ever made!"

"The _only_ portrait of a gargoyle you ever made!" Artie pointed out.

"I know, this is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece!" Gusto replied happily. "I can't wait to show this to the other Gummies! They'll be totally awe-struck!"

"What about him?" Artie asked, with a nod at Brooklyn's stone figure.

"I guess he'll be too," Gusto replied.

"No, no!" Artie shook his head in frustration. "I mean, your model has turned to stone! How are you planning to show him the painting?"

"Oh, yeah…" Gusto thought this over. "He turned to stone when the sun came up… maybe he'll come alive after sunset. Well, I can wait a couple of hours. I'm sure he'll want to see this." He stared admiringly at his painting again, and then headed to Brooklyn's side. "You're in for a real treat when you wake up, pal."

Of course, Brooklyn did not answer. His mind was far away from Dunwyn and Gusto, and back with the family he had left behind.

* * *

_Manhattan, Christmas Eve, 1996_

Brooklyn leaned over the parapet wall of castle Wyvern, staring intently at the view of the city. The streets of Manhattan seemed more beautiful than usual with their thousands of electric lights sparkling among the falling snowflakes. It took some effort, but from the high tower Brooklyn even managed to spot Rockefeller Center in the distance, and was staring at the Christmas tree as though entranced by it. He forced himself to listen intently to Bing Crosby's "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas", which was playing on the stereo behind him. It was all he could do not to watch the scene on the tower.

Christmas time was never special to the gargoyles, but now that they considered Elisa to be an official member of their clan, Goliath had insisted the gargoyles honor all the holidays she was used to celebrate. A few months ago, Brooklyn would've enjoyed any occasion for a party, but this one felt somewhat lonely. He was at least relieved that David Xanatos and Fox did not join them, but had instead sent a few presents for the gargoyles before heading for their own Christmas party. Brooklyn didn't even want to think about the crowd that would invite them.

"Brooklyn?" he heard a feminine voice call. Reluctantly, he turned to face Angela as she headed towards him, closely followed by Broadway. Angela was carrying a package neatly wrapped in shiny blue paper, tied with a yellow ribbon, while Broadway carried a tray with gingerbread cookies.

Brooklyn hoped the small smile he gave them didn't look too forced. "Hi," he whispered.

Angela smiled as she handed him the present. "This one's for you," she said.

Brooklyn took the package and stared suspiciously at a minute without opening it.

"What's wrong?" Broadway asked him, half laughing. "Afraid that thing's going to blow up when you open it?"

"If Xanatos or Fox sent it, I wouldn't put it passed them," Brooklyn replied.

"Oh, c'mon," Angela sounded a bit concerned. "They haven't done anything to us since we moved here."

"Moved _back_ here, you mean," Brooklyn corrected her. "And I know they haven't attacked us, but…"

"You still don't trust them," Broadway told him. "You still think they have something to do with Hudson and Lex not coming home yet?"

"They were supposed to protect this stone from Xanatos," Brooklyn replied. "But he came back over a month ago. If he hasn't done anything to them, why aren't they back yet?"

"They're probably just staying with the London clan for a while," Angela reassured him. "I've met some of them, I'm sure Hudson and Lexington are safe with them."

"So they're just leaving us hanging because they're enjoying themselves?" Brooklyn asked skeptically.

"I'm sure they won't be gone much longer," Broadway said gently. "You know how loyal Hudson is to the clan, he's not going to want to stay away. And Lex isn't going to want to leave us either."

"Unless he's found a mate in London," Brooklyn replied bitterly, unable to restrain himself.

Angela sighed. "You miss them, don't you?" She asked softly. "That's why you're not enjoying the party."

Brooklyn glanced at her and Broadway for a moment, then lowered his eyes. "Yeah, I guess that's it," he half lied.

Broadway held the cookie tray in front of Brooklyn. "Maybe a snack will cheer you up."

"That's all you ever think of," Brooklyn muttered, refusing the cookies.

"Well, not exactly," Broadway smiled, wrapping his free arm around Angela, who gave a small giggle.

Brooklyn instantly opened the present he was still holding just to avoid looking at the other two. Inside the box was a new pair of sunglasses.

"What did you get?" Angela asked.

Brooklyn held up the box to show her. "To replace the pair that was destroyed the first time Xanatos attacked us."

Broadway gave a mock-dramatic sigh. "Ah, memories."

Brooklyn put the box down. "So what did our repentant landlord give you?"

"I got this," Angela held up her wrist to show Brooklyn a white pearl bracelet.

"It's nice," Brooklyn told her.

"C'mon, I'll show you what I got," Broadway led them to the Christmas tree a few feet away and picked up an open box from under it. He pulled out a CD and handed it to Brooklyn. It was the soundtrack to the movie "Cabaret."

"Cabaret… Isn't that the movie we all saw when Angela came to the clock tower?" Brooklyn asked.

"Yeah," Broadway answered. "Elisa thought Angela would like it."

"I wonder why Xanatos thought you'd like musicals," Brooklyn teased.

"Funny," Broadway retorted. He then turned to Angela. "Do you want to play this now?"

"All right," Angela agreed. The two of them left to change the CD in the stereo.

Brooklyn took this opportunity to leave them and join Goliath and Elisa, who were leaning against the parapet on the opposite side of the tower.

"Are you sorry you came tonight?" Goliath asked Elisa softly.

"No," Elisa smiled at him. "My parents are visiting Beth this year, and Derek has his own obligations."

"Do you think he's ready to be a father?"

Elisa shrugged. "We'll see. But it's something he'll have to find out for himself. Remember, we agreed to stay out of each other's personal life."

Goliath frowned. "He still doesn't approve of our relationship."

Elisa sighed. "It's not the easiest news to accept." She looked up at Goliath and smiled. "But I have no regrets."

Goliath pulled her close, looking as though he were about to kiss her, when he spotted Brooklyn watching them.

Brooklyn instantly turned away in embarrassment. He quickly dashed towards the buffet to grab himself a cup of apple cider and shut his eyes, pretending to listen to the end of "Willkommen" as it played loudly on the stereo. He thought he heard Goliath and Elisa approach him from behind, and planned his defense in case Goliath accused him of eavesdropping. When he opened them, his eyes fell on Broadway and Angela, who were now heading for the mistletoe.

Brooklyn put his drink down, feeling he could not swallow. Instead, he headed towards the stairs and left the party, taking refuge in the TV room. When he entered, he found a large, gray lump curled on the armchair in front of the screen.

"Hey, Bronx," Brooklyn whispered softly as he made his way toward the gargoyle beast and patted his back. "You miss Hudson, right?"

Bronx gave a small whimper, then stretched and jumped off the armchair. He nuzzled his head against Brooklyn's body, and the latter knelt beside him and hugged him. Bronx whimpered again and licked Brooklyn's face.

Brooklyn smiled sadly. "Thanks, boy, I needed that." He sat on the floor, leaning against the armchair. "Did you ever have one of those nights when you're just not interested in doing anything?"

Bronx gave him what was likely a beast's version of a grunt, and lay down beside Brooklyn, resting his weight against him as though trying to comfort him.

Brooklyn wasn't sure how long the two of them sat that way, when Goliath and Elisa found him. Brooklyn nodded at them as they entered the room but didn't speak. The room was so quiet that the music from the tower was clearly audible. It was now playing one of Liza Minnelli's songs from "Cabaret" Brooklyn vaguely remembered.

Maybe this time, I'll be lucky  
Maybe this time, he'll stay  
Maybe this time  
For the first time  
Love won't hurry away

He will hold me fast  
I'll be home at last  
Not a loser anymore  
Like the last time  
And the time before

Everybody loves a winner  
So nobody loved me;  
'Lady Peaceful,' 'Lady Happy,'  
That's what I long to be  
All the odds are in my favor  
Something's bound to begin  
It's got to happen, happen sometime  
Maybe this time I'll win

"Brooklyn?" Goliath asked cautiously.

Brooklyn sighed. "I never liked that song," he said, trying to sound casual. "I mean, we know she's not going to win."

Elisa gave him a pitying smile. "The circumstances didn't allow for a happy ending. Most movies that deal with bigotry will tell you that."

"I guess," Brooklyn whispered. He continued to pat Bronx while Goliath whispered something to Elisa. A moment later, Elisa nodded and stood up, and then gave Brooklyn a quick pat on the back before leaving the room.

Goliath sat in the armchair opposite Brooklyn, waiting for the latter to face him, which he reluctantly did.

"Why did you leave the party so early?" Goliath asked.

Brooklyn shrugged. "I just wasn't in the mood for parties."

"It's because of Broadway and Angela, isn't it?"

Brooklyn lowered his eyes, unable to respond, but his answer was now clearly redundant.

Goliath sighed. "Brooklyn, I know this is painful for you," he told him gently. "But I'm concerned about what's happening to you. All this hiding… isolating yourself from your friends… this isn't making things better for you."

"I'm not isolating myself from them," Brooklyn answered bitterly. "They'd rather be with each other than with me. Besides…" his voice shook slightly, and he cleared his throat to steady it. "It feels lonelier around them than away from them."

"Because they're neglecting you or because you want to be with Angela?"

Brooklyn sighed. "I know she doesn't love me," he said weakly. "But they both knew how I felt about Angela, but…"

"They don't acknowledge your feelings?" Goliath asked.

Brooklyn's eye stung. "It's like what I feel for Angela doesn't matter to them." With that, he stood up and headed for the door, but Goliath stood up too and held him back.

"Brooklyn, are you sure they know you _still_ have feelings for Angela?"

"They didn't exactly strain themselves to find out, did they?" Brooklyn replied angrily.

Goliath sighed. "I'm not excusing them," he said. "But you know, Brooklyn, these things happen sometimes when people fall in love. They sometimes neglect their friends without meaning to. If you're hurt, maybe it's up to you to make the first move and talk to them."

Brooklyn shook his head. "No… it won't help. They'll just act nice to me because they'll be sorry for me." His voice shook again. "Besides, I'm not exactly proud of feeling this way. I saw what jealousy did to your evil brother when he possessed me."

"It wasn't jealousy that made him evil," Goliath reassured him. "That was his nature. Jealousy is only what motivated his actions." He touched Brooklyn's shoulder gently. "But what you're feeling is perfectly normal. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

Brooklyn composed himself and shrugged. "Angela will probably just tell me I'll have other chances to find a mate."

"You don't believe it?"

Brooklyn sighed. "I'm tired of being passed over. Every time I thought I had an option, she didn't want me."

Goliath squeezed Brooklyn's shoulder lightly. "I know it seems that way, but that's only because you haven't had many chances. I suppose if we had a normal size clan like we did in Scotland…" He sighed heavily. "It's hard being cut off from the rest of the world. But don't you see? This is exactly why you should keep your friends close. I know they've made some mistakes, but remember they also stayed behind from the mission to Britain to help you."

"Yeah, I know," Brooklyn answered grudgingly. "But even if I talk to them, things aren't ever going to be the same as they used to. Broadway, Lex and I… we used to be so close, and Angela was friends with all of us, but now…"

"It's natural for friends to go their separate ways at some point in life," Goliath told him. "It's part of growing up."

"Getting away for a while doesn't sound so bad right now," Brooklyn admitted.

Goliath pulled back from Brooklyn a little. "Are you sure about that?" he asked.

Brooklyn didn't answer.


	5. Chapter 4: Discoveries

**Chapter 4: Discoveries**

_Gusto Falls, 1354_

Gusto packed away his paintbrushes, watching the stone figure of his "model" in anticipation. The sky was slowly changing from bright pink to dark purple. Any moment, the sun would set.

"Get ready, Artie," Gusto said excitedly, as Artie perched on his shoulder somewhat nervously.

When the bright red aura that was the sun fully disappeared beyond the horizon, Gusto and Artie heard a loud cracking sound. They moved a bit closer to Brooklyn and saw cracks appear across his petrified form, and the cracks were rapidly spreading. Then, all of a sudden, Brooklyn emerged from the shattered pieces of stone skin, roaring as he sent them flying in all directions. Artie instantly flew off Gusto's shoulder so as not to be hit.

"Wow, that was totally inspirational," Gusto sighed dramatically. "To bad those stone flakes move too fast to capture."

Brooklyn stretched trying to clear his head from his dream. It took him a moment to remember where he was, and he was still trying to figure out why he was there. Seeing Gusto wasn't too encouraging. He doubted whether this strange young artist would be of much help to him in understanding why the phoenix flame had sent him to Dunwyn.

"I've been waiting for you to wake up," Gusto beamed at him. "I've got some friends that have to see this painting, but I thought you'd also like to come to the unveiling…"

"What year is this?" Brooklyn asked suddenly.

"What?" Gusto asked, surprised.

Brooklyn chose his next words carefully. "I know this will sound strange, but I've been on a… a long journey, and sometimes I get the time and places a little mixed up. I got hurt on my last… mission, and I think my mind's been affected."

"Oh, I see," Gusto answered. "But do gargoyles keep count of the years like Gummies or do you have a different calendar?"

"I don't know," Brooklyn replied. "My generation grew up near humans, I'm used to following their Christian calendar."

"OK, the date is August twenty-eighth, thirteen fifty four AD," Gusto told him. "I have some human friends too."

"Thirteen fifty-four?" Brooklyn asked, trying to take in the information. He tried to remember any important historic events that happened around that year, but knew his knowledge was too limited. All that came to his mind was the Black Death.

"Does that help?" Gusto asked.

"It helps me realize, _again_, that I should've studied history a little better," Brooklyn replied. "I gotta go."

"Go?" Gusto asked. "You can't leave now, we have to find my friends and…"

"Look, I can't deal with paintings and ceremonies right now," Brooklyn told him. "I have something important to do!" With that he started climbing up the waterfall, using his claws.

"What's so important you have to miss me presenting you to my friends?" Gusto asked, sounding insulted.

"I don't know yet," Brooklyn answered. Once he climbed high enough, he jumped, spread his wings, and glided away.

"Sheesh," Gusto muttered as Artie perched on his shoulder again. "Have you ever seen someone act so weird?"

Artie stared at Gusto for a moment, then rolled his eyes.

* * *

_Gummi Glen_

"Any sign of them?" Grammi asked Zummi anxiously as the latter returned to the Glen, followed by Tummi.

"No," Zummi answered, looking just as worried. "We searched all over Dunwyn Castle and the courtyard. We can't find Sunni or Cubbi anywhere."

Grammi groaned and paced for a moment nervously. "And it's passed sunset, too… They should've been back hours ago!"

"You don't think Demona's done anything to them, do you?" Zummi asked, his heart pounding.

"It's not that long since sunset," Tummi pointed out, trying to convince himself as well as the others. "Demona couldn't have found them already. Plus, she hates humans, so she wouldn't go straight to Dunwyn Castle, would she?"

"I don't know," Zummi answered. "She didn't seem like someone who'd be afraid to go straight to human dwellings and attack…"

At that moment, Gruffi joined them. His expression was grim, but his heart sank even faster when he saw that Zummi and Tummi had returned from their search without the cubs.

"You didn't find them?" Gruffi asked in concern.

"No," Zummi replied.

Gruffi slapped his forehead in irritation. "It's not bad enough they act reckless when there are ogres in the woods, now they're missing with that devil woman on the loose!"

"Yeah, attacking the castle sounds like something she'd do," Grammi agreed anxiously.

"But we would've seen her there," Tummi told them. "Anyway, there were a lot of humans in the courtyard today. Maybe Sunni and Cubbi couldn't reach the escape tunnel decided to stay longer in the castle."

"But you two would've seen them there!" Grammi replied.

"Maybe we missed them," Zummi suggested hopefully. "Maybe they were hiding from the guards and we didn't see them."

Gruffi thought this over. "That better be what happened," he said nervously. "If I find out they've acted irresponsibly, I'll tan their hides so hard their grandchildren's fur will glow!"

An uncomfortable silence followed. Finally, Zummi decided to change the subject. "So how's the trap coming?"

"Not great," Gruffi replied, looking just as irritable as he had been a moment before. "The Barbics are out guarding it right now, but it's not like trapping ogres. We can't guarantee it'll scare her off."

"The bigger question is," Grammi added, "what will we do with her if we do trap her?"

* * *

Brooklyn glided over the forest, searching for signs of trouble, but failing to find any. The forest was beautiful and peaceful, so different from the loud streets of New York that were abundant in crime. So why did the phoenix flame send him there? Was he wrong not to go with Gusto to meet more Gummi bears? Were they in some kind of trouble? It wasn't likely, that artist seemed too cheerful. Were they _the_ trouble? Again, unlikely…

"Why doesn't that stupid phoenix come with instructions?" Brooklyn asked himself in irritation. "If Gummi bears are real, who knows what else could be lurking around here in this century?" As an extra precaution, he decided to draw his sword to be ready for battle. But as he made to grab the hilt, his heart sank. The sword wasn't there.

"What the…?" He suddenly felt nervous. Had he left the sword with Gusto? He tried to remember the last time he'd seen it, but now realized he hadn't used it since the deck of the pirates' ship. They must have disarmed him before throwing him into the brig, and he hadn't realized it until now. "Damn it!" He whispered in frustration.

Soon, however, he caught sight of something that cheered him up. He had reached the end of the forest, and he now found himself in a place that looked like a small town, which was surrounded by a moat, and connected to the forest by a drawbridge. He quickly landed on top of the tree nearest to it, trying to get a better look.

The place was full of sale stands, and the people were now closing shop and putting away their merchandise. In the distance, Brooklyn saw tall towers with red roofs and flags that looked like they belonged to a castle. The place he had seen wasn't a town, it was a kingdom. And where there was a castle, there had to be someone who'd defend it.

Brooklyn's heart pounded with excitement. Was he about to find another gargoyle clan? He stretched his neck, looking around for a sign of movement in the sky. He could've sworn he saw something with wings in the distance. He was tempted to follow the airborne creature, but instantly remembered there were many humans below him. They might not react well to a gargoyle gliding over their heads. All he could do now was wait until they left.

* * *

Sunni and Cubbi waited inside Dr. Facilier's tent, listening hard for footsteps. The man would likely only come in when all his customers have gone. They peeked under the cloth every now and then since they hid earlier, but the place was still too crowded. Now that the sky was dark, they knew it couldn't be much longer before they had to make their escape.

At long last, they saw someone pull back the tent's flap. The cubs stiffened for a moment as a shadow of a human appeared across the opposite wall, but fortunately, they managed to dart under the tent and out of sight before the shadow's owner entered.

Dr. Facilier looked around, certain the tent had been somehow disturbed. He clutched the red and black talisman around his neck, and quickly glanced at the masks above his shelves. He sighed in relief. At least they were in place. Even if someone had intruded, they obviously hadn't figured out the true powers of his artifacts. His shadow, however, was not reassured. It stole out of the tent's flap when his owner wasn't looking.

"My friends," Facilier told the masks, as they gave him a suspicious glare. "Phase one is now in motion. The minute these Dunwynians fall asleep, we'll be free to invade their homes, and you can feed on their souls to your hearts' content."

The masks eyed each other, then gave their servant a sinister smile.

* * *

"They're going to kill us at home," Sunni told Cubbi as the cubs hid behind a closed stand for the second time. "We should've been back hours ago."

"I know, but there still too many people near our escape tunnel," Cubbi replied, watching the crowd nervously.

Sunni looked around for a way out of the situation. "We could try going back through the forest," she suggested, noticing the route to the woods seemed clear. "It's longer, but we could hide their easily if any humans come."

Cubbi considered this for a moment. "Good idea," he told his sister.

The cubs cautiously made their way from stand to stand, and were relieved to see the kingdom's gate was still open. As they headed towards the forest, Sunni glanced over her shoulder, and gave a violent shudder. The shadow she had seen earlier was still behind them, floating independently. It must have followed them since they left the tent, and was now stretching to an abnormal length. Sunni had no doubt about what it planned to do.

"Cubbi…" she whispered.

"What?" Cubbi asked.

Sunni swallowed hard. "I think we'd better run… now!"

Cubbi glanced in the direction Sunni was watching. The moment he saw the shadow, he screamed in horror, and ran as fast as he could, Sunni following closely behind. They were in such a hurry that neither of them noticed the winged creature that was perched on top of the tree they had just passed, who had just jumped and glided after them the moment he heard Cubbi's scream.

The cubs ran deeper and deeper into the forest as fast as they could, pulling their juice flasks out of their belts on the way and wolfing them down. As they bounced away, the shadow followed, stretching its long arms. Sunni screamed as she felt the shadow grab her leg, causing her to fall on the ground.

"Let her go, you creepy shadow!" Cubbi yelled as he drew his wooden dagger and tried to cut off the shadow's hand. The effort was useless, however, as the shadow only grabbed Cubbi's wrist with its other arm.

The cubs wriggled helplessly in the shadow's clutches, preparing for it to lay its killing blow on them. But then they heard something that distracted even their attacker, like a loud roar. They looked up to see a winged creature with red skin and white hair dive down from the sky, its eyes alight with a white glare that seemed to frighten the shadow.

Brooklyn lunged at the shadow, clawing at it wildly. The shadow shrunk slightly, relaxing its grip on the cubs enough to allow them to break free and run to hide behind a large bush. Brooklyn continued to battle the shadow, the glare from his eyes weakening his opponent. The shadow continued to shrink, until it gave up and left the forest.

Brooklyn glared at the direction from which the shadow had gone. Once he was sure it wasn't coming back, he sighed in relief. The white glow in his eyes vanished, returning them to normal. He looked back at the bush behind which he heard the cubs disappear.

"Uh… kids?" he asked, not sure how to address them. "You can come out now, that thing's gone."

Sunni and Cubbi stiffened. The creature that came to their rescue had frightened them almost as much as their attacker, but hearing him speak felt somehow reassuring. After hesitating for a moment, they slowly stepped out of the bush and approached him. Now that the creature's eyes were not glowing and he was calm, he did not seem so terrifying.

Brooklyn smiled at them. "Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you."

The cubs managed to smile back. "That was amazing," Cubbi beamed excitedly. "How did you make that thing go away?"

Brooklyn shrugged. "I'm not really sure, but I kind of have a way of making people run in terror."

Sunni giggled a little. "Well, thanks for saving us anyway," she said. "I'm Sunni, and this is my brother, Cubbi," she pointed to him.

"Hi," Brooklyn said. "Call me Brooklyn. You two are Gummi bears, right?"

"Yeah," Cubbi answered. "But we've never seen anything like you before. Brooklyn's kind of a weird name for a dragon. Or anyone, for that matter."

Brooklyn laughed a little. "And this from a bear cub named _Cubbi_… but, no, I'm not a dragon. I'm a gargoyle."

"A real gargoyle?" Sunni asked. "I didn't know there were any around here."

"What?" Brooklyn asked in shock, his heart sinking. "I thought there was a clan here…"

"No," Cubbi told him. "Maybe there used to be one, but not these days."

"Are you sure?" Brooklyn asked. "I'm not from around here, but someone's got to defend the castle, right?"

"We do that," Sunni answered. "Our whole family's been defending Dunwyn for the past two years."

"But why are you asking?" Cubbi asked. "If you're not from Dunwyn, why are you here?"

"I… I'm kind of on a mission here," He answered. He may not have known much about fourteenth century Dunwyn, but he remembered how magic was regarded in the Middle Ages. Telling kids who were practically strangers to him where he really came from probably wasn't the best idea. "But if there are no other gargoyles here, then who did I…?" Brooklyn tried to think this over. "Do you know what happened to them?"

"No," Sunni answered. "Maybe they were also driven away like our ancestors. Very few Gummies still live here, most of them are living across the ocean."

"Yeah, I heard about that," Brooklyn told them softly. "In my clan… my old clan, we had stories about Gummi bears. It was rumored they were descended from the lost race."

"What does that mean?" Cubbi asked.

Brooklyn considered this. These two Gummi bears may have been friendly, but they were only children. They probably couldn't tell him everything he needed to know. "Never mind," he finally said. "We have more important things to deal with. Do you know anything about that shadow that attacked you?"

"No," Sunni told him. "We were just hiding in this salesman's tent, and when we tried to leave, the shadow followed us. It's like it had a mind of its own."

"A salesman?" Brooklyn asked. He could only think of one man whose shadow could've been so dangerous. "Was he a tall dark man with long fingers?"

"I think so," Sunni answered. "We weren't that close to him."

"Oh, man…" Brooklyn muttered to himself. "You two have to be careful. That man's dangerous."

"Yeah, we kind of figured that when his shadow attacked us," Cubbi told him. "But who is he?"

"When I met him, he called himself the Shadow man. He was a prisoner on a ship once, and he got sick. I thought he needed my help, but he turned out to be evil. He's involved in some nasty deal with spirits. They prolong his life as long as he could pay them back…" Brooklyn hesitated. He wasn't sure he should go into such gruesome details with children. "Look, I think I'd better take you home now. That shadow might come back."

"Oh, yeah," Cubbi snapped to attention. "We really should've been home hours ago. Can you fly us home?"

"I don't fly," Brooklyn answered. "I glide." With that, he approached the nearest tree and began to climb it. "We need to get some altitude."

The cubs climbed after him, and once Brooklyn reached the highest branch, he glided down, scooping up the cubs in his arms on the way.

Cubbi squealed with excitement. "Wow, this is kind of fun."

Brooklyn smiled. Whatever happened on this time travel, it was good to find someone friendly to protect.


	6. Chapter 5: Trapped

**Chapter 5: Trapped**

Demona perched on top of the castle wall, scanning the kingdom with her eyes. There were humans all over the place. She hissed in fury as they slowly departed for their houses, putting out the torches by their stands one by one. The humans clearly dominated this kingdom, and they all had comfortable homes to go back to. They would never know the feeling of being hunted down like an animal and forced into hiding. For a moment, Demona was tempted to lunge at any human she could reach and kill them on the spot, but she restrained herself. She was not familiar with the place, after all, and was not aware of the humans' strength. Her attack would likely lead to more humans hunting her, and hiding in Dunwyn would be out of the question. It would be wiser to explore the kingdom unseen until she had a plan, a way of destroying all the humans at once. If only she had a clan at her side…

"Those sentimental fur balls are as bad as Goliath was," she muttered to herself. "Too easily corrupted by humans, no sense of pride and justice…"

When, at last, the streets were deserted, Demona glided silently toward a closed fruit stand. She tore off the cover with her claws and grabbed an apple, tossing the cloth on the ground as she ate. When she was through, she piled some more fruit on the cloth and tied it like a sack. She was about to try another stand when she noticed a shadowy figure walking down one of the alleys. It was a human, and conveniently, he was alone.

Demona smiled deviously. "Well, this is small comfort. At least there will be one less human by tomorrow." She grabbed her loot and hid it in the street corner behind an abandoned wagon, and followed the solitary man.

* * *

Dr. Facilier leaned against the wall of one of the shops, watching the street intently for signs of movement, and searching for the right home to attack first. He clutched his cane with his right hand, while his left grabbed the hilt of a sword that was tucked into his belt. His shadow, meanwhile, was watching the opposite direction for signs of the intruders it had encountered earlier. The witch doctor glanced at him, sneering in fury.

"You still won't tip me off about those intruders, huh?" He asked bitterly.

When he was finally convinced the streets were deserted, he stepped out of his hiding place, and headed for a house behind a blacksmith's stand. The smith likely lived there, and by now would be fast asleep, thanks to the powder he had bought earlier. Facilier smiled menacingly as he pulled a lock-pick from his boot, rested his cane against the wall, and grabbed the doorknob. Just as he made to pick the lock, however, his shadow tugged hard at his robes. Startled, he turned around and barely managed to emit a scream.

A flying creature was rapidly charging at him, roaring in fury. For a moment, Facilier was only able to make out a flash of red and turquoise before he was knocked off his feet, his cane collapsing beside him, just out of his reach. He tried to draw the sword from his belt, but his attacker clutched his wrists tightly in her claws.

"No, please! I was going to pay you back tonight…" Facilier all but whimpered, but stopped instantly when he realized his mistake. The creature attacking him was not a spirit.

Demona's eyes flashed in red as she watched the human's lavender eyes widen in shock. "Now you'll receive your just desert, human," she snarled, baring her teeth as she spoke.

"You're a gargoyle!" Facilier managed to say. Now that he knew his worst fear had not been realized, he managed to regain some courage. Using all his strength, he pushed himself forward and bit Demona's hand, causing her to roar in pain and momentarily release his right hand. This was just enough time to allow Facilier to grab his cane and beat it against Demona's side.

But Demona was not about to give up easily. She grabbed Facilier's left arm with both her hands twisted it as she kicked him from the side, forcing him to lie face down and drop his cane again. Just as she was about to deliver the killing blow, however, she felt someone grab her around the waist. She briefly glanced over her shoulder and cried out in alarm, the red glare in her eyes vanishing. It was the shock of being handled so by a shadow that forced her to let go of the human, rather than the shadow's physical strength.

Facilier seized the opportunity and broke free from her, drawing his sword and pointing it very close to Demona's face. "I don't know what you want from me, gargoyle," he snarled, "but I've got too important things to do to let you mess with me."

Demona did not back down, but growled in fury again at the sight of the human pointing a weapon at her. Her eyes glowed in red again as she turned to face the shadow that was holding her, causing the shadow to shrink slightly as it twitched and released her. She instantly jumped to her feet, returning her glare to Facilier.

"You do not fear me as you should, human," Demona hissed. "You are either very brave or very foolish."

Facilier stared into her eyes for a moment, now close enough to know precisely why she did not fear his sword. He sighed and sheathed his sword. "No point to this now," he said. "Neither of us can kill the other anyway."

"Don't count on that," Demona replied, trying to hide her confusion.

"Save your breath, girl," Facilier told her. "I know I can't finish you off. There's only one man who can do that, right?"

Demona's eyes lost their red glare again as she was caught off guard. All she could do was stare at this human in shock.

Facilier nodded in contentment. "Yes, I can sense a spell linking you to another human has made you immortal. But what you don't know is, my life is also magically protected."

It took Demona a moment to find her voice. "You… you had an immortality spell preformed on you, too?"

"In a manner of speaking," Facilier replied. He bent down to pick up his cane. "It would make no sense for us to attack each other." He took a step closer towards Demona and continued to stare into her eyes. "Especially since we can both help each other reach our goal." He held out his hand to Demona, but she did not take it.

"I do not ally with humans!" Demona snarled. "And I don't see what you can possibly want to ally with me for, since I only seek to destroy you and your inferior breed!"

Facilier bristled for a moment at being called an "inferior breed," but did not lose his cool. If he could not touch her, he at least needed to keep eye contact. He forced himself to smile at the gargoyle. "But you have allied yourself with humans before, haven't you? That's what got you into this fix."

"I will not repeat that mistake!" Demona insisted. "Humans betrayed my kind!"

"I don't have human friends myself," Facilier explained. "But wouldn't you be prepared to let one human live if I can help you destroy many others?"

"Why would you do that?" Demona asked, her curiosity growing in spite of herself.

"I have some, er-, special friends that require human souls for their feeding. By myself, I can only hope to attack the peasants in this kingdom, a few at a time. But with your help, I can do a whole lot more." His eyes were alight with greed. "Maybe even attack Dunwyn castle."

"What difference does the humans' social status make to you?" Demona asked.

"Attacking those in power allows for better control," Facilier replied. "If we can attack the castle, I can steal enough gold to stop living on the sidelines and scraping for pennies."

"And how does that help me?" Demona asked coldly.

"Aren't you tired of living on the run?" Facilier asked. "If you cooperate with me, you could be living in a castle again. You'll never have to starve or worry about hunters finding you."

Demona was taken aback again, shocked at how much this human was able to learn about her so quickly. Still, his offer was almost too tempting to resist. _Almost_. "And how can I be sure _you_ won't turn on me?" she asked.

"I have no interest in harming you if you're on my side," Facilier told her. "And who knows? If my friends on the other side are satisfied with the souls I can feed them with your help, they may help me regain enough power to give you something in return. Maybe I can even remove the curse from your old clan. _And your mate_."

Demona stared at Facilier for a moment, lost for words. She could almost feel a war going on inside her. This was a human, and she could not trust him. Centuries of witnessing human betrayal have taught her that. But she also remembered she has faced most of that time alone, since she no longer had a clan at her side. And she did miss living in a castle. And if there was the slightest chance this man could bring her mate back to her…

"All right," Demona told him. "I accept."

* * *

"See, it's not that we were trying to mess with that Shadow man," Sunni explained as she wrapped her arms around Brooklyn's neck. Being slightly larger than Cubbi, Brooklyn could not give her as much support with his arm, and the updrafts were making her a bit nervous. "It's just that we've never seen a stand like his before, and we don't get that many chances to see anything exciting at Dunwyn."

"Defending the castle doesn't come with enough excitement?" Brooklyn asked, laughing a little.

"It's not the same," Cubbi explained. "When we defend the castle, usually one of the grown- ups are there, and they're always watching over us."

"Oh, I get it," Brooklyn smiled. "You two want to be able to have some adventures on your own, right?"

"It's not like we're looking for trouble," Sunni told him. "We wouldn't have gone to that tent tonight if we knew what that shadow would do. But if we'd gone home first to tell the others, there's no way they'd let us go back and see that stand."

"Yeah, I know that feeling," Brooklyn sympathized. "When I was younger I always wanted to try things I knew I wouldn't be allowed to. I can't tell you how many times I got sent to the rookery as a hatchling."

"The rookery?" Cubbi asked.

"It's where my clan's eggs were kept," Brooklyn explained. "That's also where the adults sent us when we misbehaved." He paused for a moment, not wanting to think about the last time he and his brothers were sent to the rookery. "So… are we almost there?"

"Almost," Sunni told him. She looked down, finally spotting the top of the tree that led to Gummi Glen. "Right there," she pointed, momentarily detaching her arm from Brooklyn's neck, but instantly returned it as Brooklyn turned to the direction of the tree.

"Hold on, we're going down," Brooklyn warned the cubs.

* * *

"I still say this trap is a stupid idea," Ursa told Gruffi. "Gritty and I can take her if she shows up tonight."

"Sure, like you did when she showed up in Ursalia?" Gruffi scoffed at her. He and Gritty stood at opposite sides of Gummi Glen's tree while Ursa waited in the top branches. The trap they had built earlier that day was made of several large, thick logs attached to each other with oak branches so that it resembled a large cage, and it was now tied with a net and rope to the lower branches of the tree. Ursa was to cut it once Gruffi led their prey beneath it. On Gruffi's insistence, the others waited inside in case too many bears gave away the trap.

"_I_ wasn't the one who let her injure me!" Ursa reminded him. "This trap isn't going to hold her! And anyway, I'm the one best qualified to battle her on the ground!"

"Without gummiberry juice, you don't stand a chance!" Gruffi insisted. "But if you're so sure you can handle her, you're more than welcome to fight her _after_ we've caught her."

Ursa was about to shout back, when Gritty spoke up. "Well, there's no time to change plans now," he announced, pointing to the sky. "Something with wings is heading this way."

Gruffi quickly followed Gritty's gaze. Sure enough, there was a winged creature in the sky. And the wings were definitely gargoyle wings.

"Get ready," Gruffi told the Barbics. "It's payback time, gargoyle," he added under his breath.

* * *

Brooklyn glided toward Gummi Glen, tightening his grip on Sunni and Cubbi. "I think someone's been waiting up for you two," he told the kids when he spotted a brown Gummi bear on the ground.

"It's Gruffi!" Cubbi told him nervously. "Boy, he's going kill us when he hears where we've been."

"Don't worry, I can help you explain it wasn't all your fault," Brooklyn reassured him. As he drew nearer to the ground, however, he noticed the bear called Gruffi seemed to prepare to run from him. He suddenly remembered Gummi bears were not used to seeing gargoyles glide their way. "Oh, great. He's scared of me," Brooklyn muttered bitterly. He glided a bit faster, determined to show this bear he meant him no harm. But Gruffi started to run a moment before Brooklyn landed, which he did a second before…

"AARGH!" Brooklyn cried out, startled, as something large and wooden seemed to crash around him, causing him to drop Sunni and Cubbi in alarm as he was knocked off his feet by a log that landed on his wing. He quickly shielded his eyes from the twigs and leaves that followed the logs. When he opened his eyes, he found himself and the cubs surrounded by what looked like a giant wooden cage.

Before Brooklyn could react, he and the cubs heard Gruffi yell, "It worked!"

"What's going on here?!" Brooklyn asked, outraged, as he tried desperately to free his wing. He winced in pain.

Before Sunni or Cubbi could answer, they heard voices coming from the other side of the cage.

"That doesn't sound like her," Ursa's voice was heard saying. "That sounded like a male…"

But Gruffi was already heading back to the Glen. "I'll get the others," he told Ursa. "Be ready in case she breaks out of the trap."

Brooklyn and the cubs heard Gruffi leave. "They don't know we were trapped here too!" Sunni realized.

"Who's the _she_ they meant to catch?" Brooklyn wondered. "What kind of enemies do you have, anyway?"

Sunni didn't answer him, deciding it was more urgent to get the three of them out of the trap. "Ursa!" she called. "Ursa, can you hear me?"

Ursa, who had been standing beside the cage with her sword drawn, stiffened at the sound of Sunni's voice, her eyes widening in shock. She shot Gritty a quick glance. He seemed just as shocked as she was.

"Sunni?" Ursa asked.

"Yes!" Sunni called back. "There's been a mistake, please, get us out of here!"

"Is Cubbi with you?" Gritty asked in concern.

"Yeah, we're both here," Cubbi answered.

Ursa turned back to Gritty. "The monster's not there," she whispered, "or she would've finished them off. Whatever that winged creature was, it's probably not as dangerous. We should cut the kids free."

"Be careful," Gritty told her. "We still don't know what that creature was, it could still attack us. We'd better make sure the hole we cut is only large enough to let the kids out."

"I agree," Ursa told him. She approached the trap and started cutting through the lower end, while Gritty broke off pieces of wood using his strong arms.

Inside the trap, Brooklyn sighed with relief. Once the Gummies realized he was not the enemy they were expecting, whoever she was, they'd probably let him go. He reached out and started clawing at the log pinning down his wing, trying to free it.

Ursa and Gritty had finished cutting the escape hole for Sunni and Cubbi before Brooklyn finished his work, and as the cubs left the trap, Brooklyn heard more bears arrive. He picked up the pace of his work, and finally, his wing was free. He tried to follow the cubs, but was forced to back away when a sword pointed at him through the small hole.

"Not so fast, gargoyle!" Ursa threatened.

Brooklyn could only stare at her in shock, realizing his expectations of these bears were too optimistic. He held up his arms, showing the blond warrior bear he had no intension of attacking her. He thought it would be better to give the cubs a chance to explain first.

"Ursa, it's okay!" Cubbi tried to explain as Gritty grabbed his and Sunni's paws, trying to lead them to safety. "He's not danger-"

He never finished, because at that moment, the rest of the Glen Gummies had reached them.

"Sunni! Cubbi! Thank Goodness you're alright!" Grammi cried out as she hurried toward the cubs to hug them.

"You two had us worried sick!" Zummi told them, too relieved to find the cubs in one piece to be angry.

"You two had better have a good explanation for this!" Gruffi scolded.

"We're okay," Sunni told them. "We've got something to tell you…"

"URSA!" Gruffi hollered when he noticed the Barbic leader standing by a hole in the trap with her sword drawn. He rushed over to her side, the others following. "What are you doing? Are you trying to let that monster go free?"

Ursa glared at him. "I was freeing your kids!" she hissed at him. "And you trapped the wrong monster, you idiot!"

Gruffi gaped at her in outrage. He instantly looked into the trap, and was shocked by what he saw.

Brooklyn smiled nervously at the new Gummi faces he could see through the narrow space. "Uh… hi," he said awkwardly.


	7. Chapter 6: A Shadow of a Doubt

**Chapter 6: A Shadow of a Doubt**

"Great Gallopin' Gummies!" Gruffi hollered. "You mean to tell me there are more of those things around here?!"

"Exactly!" Ursa replied, still pointing her sword at Brooklyn.

Brooklyn tore his eyes away from Ursa's sword for a moment. Annoyed as he was at being referred to as "more of those things," the full meaning of the words suddenly dawned on him. "You've seen another gargoyle around here?" He asked in excitement, taking a step closer to the Gummies.

Ursa tightened her grip on the sword. "Don't move!"

Brooklyn stopped in his tracks, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his wing. "Please, I won't hurt you…"

At that moment, Sunni and Cubbi finally broke free from Grammi's hug and hurried back to Ursa and Gruffi. "No, don't hurt him!" Sunni cried out. "He's not dangerous!"

"Get away from him!" Gruffi grabbed the cubs' arms.

"But Gruffi, he saved our lives in the forest!" Cubbi protested.

"He… what?" Gruffi asked, caught off guard. He glanced at Brooklyn again, and saw the gargoyle giving him an innocent smile.

"Yes!" Sunni explained. "Something attacked us on the way home, and he saved us!"

"What attacked you?" Gruffi asked.

"Excuse me," Brooklyn interrupted from inside the trap. "But would you mind letting me out of here first?"

"I'll decide when and if I'll let you out!" Gruffi glared at Brooklyn.

"Gruffi Gummi!" Grammi scolded, moving toward him. "A wild boar can give you lessons in manners! This gargoyle just saved our cubs!"

"Yeah, and just last night one of his kind was about to kill us!" Gruffi shot back.

"Gruffi, that doesn't mean he's in league with her!" Zummi intervened. "If he saved the kids, the least we can do is give him a fair hearing!"

As the bears argued, Brooklyn's mind was racing. Another gargoyle had appeared there the night before. Now he was sure of it. And it was a female. He did not imagine that gargoyle at Dunwyn. But from the sound of it, that gargoyle was no friend. Perhaps it was some gargoyle banished from her clan. Or, a horrible thought crossed his mind, a gargoyle that was now used to operating alone…

"No, it can't be…" Brooklyn whispered to himself. He forced himself to remain calm. An angry outburst would not make the Gummies trust him. Besides, he still had no proof his most hated enemy was the gargoyle in question.

"Fine!" Gruffi finally gave in. "We'll hear him out, but I'm not letting him out of the trap without being sure it's safe!"

Grammi rolled her eyes. "I guess that's the best we can do right now."

Gruffi took a step closer to the trap, but Zummi held him back. "No, I'll talk to him first."

Gruffi eyed him in suspicion, but Zummi ignored him. He headed for the hole and gave Brooklyn a small smile, hoping he didn't look afraid. The other Gummies gathered behind him. They couldn't see well into the hole, but they listened intently.

Zummi cleared his throat. "What's your name, please?"

"Brooklyn," the gargoyle replied softly, pleased that this bear was trying to be polite to him.

"Okay… Brooklyn," Zummi continued, trying not to give away how strange the name sounded to him. "Please, can you tell us exactly how you found Sunni and Cubbi?"

"I was in the forest, and I saw the kids being attacked by this shadowy figure. I've seen something like that before. It belonged to an evil man. I saved them and brought them home."

"An evil man?" Zummi asked in concern. "Who is he?"

"He's called the Shadow Man," Brooklyn replied. "He's somewhere in Dunwyn, and I know he's up to no good. That's why the kids let me bring them home. I didn't think it was a good idea to let them go off alone."

Zummi stared at him for a moment, then glanced at Sunni and Cubbi, who nodded in affirmation. "Okay," Zummi turned back to Brooklyn, feeling a bit more reassured. "But why did you come to Dunwyn in the first place?"

Brooklyn knew this question would come sooner or later, but he still wasn't sure how to answer. If these bears didn't trust him, telling them about the Phoenix Gate might frighten them more. Who knew how they regarded magic? "I was sort of sent here on a mission," he finally said. "The way things look, I have to stop the Shadow Man before he attacks Dunwyn…"

"You didn't know he was going to be here?" Zummi asked.

"No," Brooklyn answered.

"Who sent you on this mission?" Zummi asked.

Brooklyn smiled in embarrassment. "Uh… It's complicated."

Zummi gaped at him for a moment, his reassurance fading slightly. "But whoever sent you must've known the Shadow Man was going to be here."

"Well, I guess so…" Brooklyn answered. "But I'm not exactly sure how." At that moment, Brooklyn wished he had simply said the mission was secret. Ironically that would've lead to less awkward questions.

Zummi stared at him, trying to decide if it were safe to ask his next question. "Are you here alone?" He finally asked.

"Yes," Brooklyn told him, determined to at least get the evil gargoyle matter straightened out if nothing else. "I heard you guys mention another gargoyle, but she didn't come here with me."

At that moment, Gruffi lost his patience and headed for the hole himself. "Right. And I suppose it's just a coincidence the two of you showed up here one after the other?" He asked in a somewhat condescending tone.

"Gruffi, stop it," Zummi told him, though a bit meekly. He had to admit Brooklyn's story didn't sound very convincing. He turned back to the gargoyle. "It's not a usual thing for gargoyles to travel alone, is it?" he asked, trying to keep his voice gentle, but he could not hide his suspicion.

Brooklyn sighed. "It's true, we usually stay with our clans, but… I got separated from mine some time ago. I've been on my own ever since."

The bears seemed to be debating what to do next. Gruffi gave Brooklyn an untrusting glare, while Zummi seemed confused.

Brooklyn sighed in slight frustration. If he didn't get out soon, who knows what the Shadow Man will do to Dunwyn. And if there was another threat around, a threat in the form of a female gargoyle…

"Who was the gargoyle that attacked you last night?" Brooklyn finally asked.

"Why should that matter to you?" Gruffi snapped. "I thought you were here alone?"

Brooklyn glared at him. "But she might be someone I know… did she have a name?"

"We're asking the questions here!" Gruffi told him.

Before Brooklyn could respond, Zummi said, "Her name's Demona."

It was probably just as well Gruffi shot Zummi an angry look that moment, and missed the rage that momentarily flashed in Brooklyn's eyes. "Demona…" he hissed under his breath.

"So you know her?" Zummi asked. Unlike Gruffi, he had noticed Brooklyn's reaction to hearing about Demona, and it did little to reassure him about the gargoyle.

"She's my clan's worst enemy," Brooklyn replied, trying to control his temper. "Please, if she's around here, she could be attacking Dunwyn as we speak. You've got to let me out of here!"

Zummi looked around nervously at the other Gummies, and knew most of them were just as confused as he was about letting Brooklyn go. He turned back to Gruffi. "I think we should free him," he said softly.

"Nothin' doin'!" Gruffi hissed. "He could be just playing along with Demona. We release him, he'll just help her attack us!"

"I wouldn't play along with Demona if she were the last gargoyle on earth!" Brooklyn fumed. "Because of her, most of my clan was destroyed!"

"Gruffi," Zummi insisted. "We can't just leave him in this trap. He saved Sunni and Cubbi…"

"Yes, and we did hear him out, now I trust him even less!" Gruffi answered firmly.

It took Brooklyn all his strength not to roar in fury. Instead, he lunged at the trap's wall and began clawing at the logs as fast as he could, angry at himself for not doing so sooner. He had lost so much moonlight already trying to get the bears to trust him.

"Stay back!" Gruffi ordered the other Gummies, who instantly backed away as Brooklyn broke more wood, enough to allow him to escape.

Brooklyn just shook his head at them, looking disappointed. He could not glide away on his injured wing, so instead he got down on all fours and ran into the forest without saying a word.

"Gruffi!" Sunni piped up. "How could you treat him like that?"

"Great," Gruffi glared at the direction Brooklyn had gone to, ignoring Sunni. "He'll be reporting our trap to Demona now. We'll need a new plan. As if trying to catch one gargoyle wasn't bad enough."

"Are you sure about that?" Grammi asked. On other circumstances she would've been furious with the way Gruffi had treated someone, though she had trouble making her mind about Brooklyn herself. "Maybe he was telling the truth about Demona being his enemy."

"He really did seem to hate her," Zummi agreed.

"We've got to go after him!" Cubbi announced. "He was wounded from that trap, and if there's trouble in the forest…"

"You're not going anywhere!" Gruffi snapped at him. "Haven't you learnt yet never to lead strangers to our home?"

"He saved our lives!" Sunni reminded him.

Gruffi shook his head. "Look," he began, trying to force his voice to calmness, "I know you two weren't here last night, and you didn't see Demona, but she's an evil monster! Whatever what's-his-name told you, we can't just assume he's trustworthy!"

Sunni glared at him. "His name's Brooklyn, and he's not working with her! Didn't you just see for yourself that he didn't know she was here until you mentioned it?"

"He's probably lying," Gruffi told her.

"Gruffi!" Grammi scolded. "We can't assume he's dangerous just because he happens to be a gargoyle like Demona!"

"How bad can he be if he saved Sunni and Cubbi's lives?" Tummi piped up.

Gruffi glared at him. "Didn't it occur to you he did it to gain our trust? Demona couldn't get us to help her, so she sent someone else for the job!"

"She was alone when I met her," Ursa intervened. "It didn't look like she had a gargoyle clan with her."

"It was probably a trick!" Gruffi insisted.

"Or it could've been true," Zummi replied. "I know Demona's evil and wants to destroy humans, but until last night, she had no reason to harm us, so why would she try to deceive us beforehand?"

"So you trust the other gargoyle?" Gruffi asked.

Zummi sighed in slight frustration. "I'm not sure," he answered grudgingly. "He seemed very sincere when he spoke against Demona, and I don't like doubting him after he saved the kids, but…" He lowered his eyes. "The story he gave us doesn't make much sense. I mean, there hasn't been a gargoyle around here for probably centuries, but suddenly two show up almost at once, they know each other, but didn't know the other was going to be here… and how did he know he had to stop the Shadow Man without knowing he was going to be here too?"

"Exactly why we can't trust him!" Gruffi said firmly. "He and Demona probably wanted us to think the Shadow Man was an enemy to turn us against humans!"

"The Shadow Man exists!" Sunni told him. "We saw him in Dunwyn. Brooklyn knew he had to stop him because he met him before, and he said he was evil."

"He tried to convince you a human was evil, then?" Gruffi asked.

"That human was evil!" Cubbi argued. "His shadow isn't normal, it tried to attack us when Brooklyn saved us. And he didn't try to turn us against _all_ humans!"

"And even if he wanted to, those gargoyles may also have good reasons for hating humans!" Gritty argued.

"Something else doesn't fit here," Ursa spoke up, suddenly remembering something. "Demona told me humans destroyed her kind, and this Brooklyn said she was responsible. If he's trying to help her turn us against humans, why didn't he tell us the same thing?"

"Because he knows we already don't trust Demona, obviously!" Gruffi replied, annoyed.

Grammi shook her head. "I think Demona's got you shook up about gargoyles."

Gruffi glared at her, but before he could reply, Sunni spoke up. "This isn't helping. He's out there in the forest, and he's hurt."

"Don't worry about him, Pumpkin," Grammi told her softly. "Gargoyles can look after themselves, and he'll heal at sunrise."

"Are you sure?" Cubbi asked in concern.

"Gargoyles turn to stone during the day," Zummi explained. "And they are rejuvenated when they sleep."

"Speaking of sleep, we'd better all get going to bed," Gruffi said. "We'll take turns keeping watch in case one of those gargoyles shows up tonight."

"But Gruffi…" Cubbi argued.

"But nothing!" Gruffi insisted. "That gargoyle's long gone now, it won't do any good standing here."

"What about that Shadow Man?" Sunni asked. "He might attack Dunwyn tonight!"

"We have no reason to think that!" Gruffi replied, grabbing Sunni and Cubbi's arms and leading them back to the tree stump. "Just some poor evidence from a gargoyle."

The other bears followed, somewhat hesitantly. Before going inside, Grammi grabbed Zummi's arm, holding him back a moment. "You really think we can't trust Brooklyn?" she asked.

Zummi lowered his eyes again. "I really don't know. He seems like a good guy, but…"

"It's all just too strange," Grammi agreed. "And the Shadow Man?"

Zummi thought this over. "We don't know anything about him to do any good," he said. "I'll try and find something about cursed shadows in the Great Book."

Grammi nodded, a bit relieved. "Alright. I'd better help the Barbics settle in for tonight."

With that, both bears climbed into the holes in the tree stump and disappeared into the Glen.

* * *

Brooklyn rushed through the forest, his injured wing trailing behind him. He hoped he was going the right way to Dunwyn's courtyard. It was hard to tell on foot. He glared back at the direction of Gummi Glen. Because of their trap, he'd probably lose a whole night and day where he could be stopping the Shadow Man, or, just as importantly, find out what Demona was up to.

He sighed in frustration. It was not as though he could really blame the Gummies for not trusting him. He knew the story he gave them was weak, and they had every right to protect their home from strangers. It was the fact that _Demona_ was the reason they didn't trust him that irked him.

"That phoenix must hate me," Brooklyn grumbled. "Demona and the Shadow Man in the same time and place?!"

He headed deeper and deeper into the forest, when he heard familiar voices some way ahead. He could not make out the owners or what they were saying, but this was as good a lead as any. He followed the sounds, trying his best to remain silent and stay out of sight.

* * *

Facilier leaned against an oak tree at the edge of a glade in the forest, clutching his talisman and staring at it hatefully. The once red and black coloring had faded to brown and crimson over the years. His debt had certainly taken a toll on his powers. He growled and placed it back around his neck. "Are you absolutely sure we don't have enough time to attack tonight?" he asked Demona in frustration.

"I'm sure," Demona replied coldly. "The nights are too short this time of year, and if the sun rises during the attack, there is nothing I can do. We'll need a strategy first."

Facilier sighed. "The sleeping powder I sold the locals will probably only last another couple of nights or so. I was counting on doing the job and getting away fast."

"Foolish human," Demona scoffed at him. "Why didn't you prepare enough powder in the first place?"

Facilier glared at her. "My friends on the other side only allow me to use so much magic at a time these days," he answered.

Demona glared back at him. "You are going to regain enough power to keep your promise to me, aren't you?" she asked in fury.

"Sure, assuming we succeed," Facilier said dismissively. "But we've got to act fast."

"One full night is more than enough time for me to attack a castle, if your shadow friends help," Demona told him.

"That's not what I meant," Facilier said. "Earlier this evening, someone broke into my tent. I couldn't catch whoever it was, and I have no idea what he or she heard. If the intruder's on to me, we might not get a chance to operate."

"Intruders?" Demona asked. "When did this happen? You told me you sold bags of powder by your tent all day."

"I did," Facilier answered. "The culprit must've sneaked in during."

"You fool!" Demona yelled, striking at Facilier with her claws, knocking him to the ground.

By this time, Brooklyn had reached the scene, taking care to remain hidden for as long as he could. He crouched behind a nearby bush and carefully peaked from above it, and saw Demona shouting at someone she was apparently towering over, whom he could hear groaning in pain.

"How could you not notice someone breaking into the tent right behind you?!" Demona yelled, her eyes flashing red.

Instinctively, Brooklyn lunged at her from behind the bush, all thoughts of caution forgotten. He knocked Demona her off her feet, his eyes flashing white as he growled at her.

It took a moment for Demona to realize what had happened. "You?" She asked, too shocked to see Brooklyn to fight him back. "What are you doing here?!"

"What a gargoyle is supposed to do!" Brooklyn snarled in fury, not realizing that in the meantime Facilier had gotten to his feet, and drew a sword from his belt. "I'm protecting!"

Before Demona could react, Brooklyn suddenly let go of her, howling in pain as he clutched the side of his body. Demona looked up and saw Facilier standing over the two of them, grasping a blood-stained sword she now recognized. The human was looking a little too smug.

Demona pushed Brooklyn aside and jumped to her feet, snatching the sword from Facilier. "What do you think you're doing?!" She hissed.

Brooklyn looked up at his attacker and nearly cursed out loud. Once again, he had let his hate for Demona override his better judgment, and because of that, he had helped the Shadow Man rather than stop him.

"I'm only looking out for my best warrior," Facilier answered Demona smoothly.

"I need no protection from a human!" Demona snarled, shaking her fist at him. "I won't stand for you raising a weapon to a gargoyle!" With that, she headed for Brooklyn's side.

"Drama queen," Facilier hissed under his breath.

Demona laid the sword beside Brooklyn and pulled his hands away from his side to check his wound. "This looks deep."

Brooklyn's first thought was to pull away from her, but he couldn't. The pain made it too difficult for him to move. He reasoned with himself that Demona wasn't likely to attack him at that moment. "Why did you…?" He began, but at that moment his eyes fell on the sword at his feet. "Hey, that's my…"

"I know," Demona answered coldly. "I remember."

Brooklyn tensed a little. If Demona remembered the last time they had encountered each other on his time travels, she remembered how he had stolen the Grimorum Arcanorum from her. And there he was, lying wounded on the ground, at her and the Shadow Man's mercy. But Demona did not seem able to decide whether to attack him or help him.

Facilier used this opportunity to approach the gargoyles. "I sense you're at war with yourself again," he said silkily to Demona. "You are angry with me, and this gargoyle was one of your clan. It's only natural that you'd want to help him now."

Demona glared at him, and then turned her gaze back to Brooklyn, whose eyes gave away a mixture of hate and fear.

"But don't forget," Facilier went on, "he has robbed you and deceived you once. You really trust him more?" He knelt beside Demona and put his lips very close to her ear. "I also sense he has a bitter grudge against you. You can see it in his eyes. He will not help you with what you want."

Brooklyn looked from Demona's hesitant expression to Facilier's sly smile and back again. "You two are working together," he realized, his voice heavy with disgust. He glared at Demona. "You've always hated humans, but you'll ally yourself with _this_ human?"

"It's a means to an end," Demona told him, forcing herself to regain composure.

Facilier's smile broadened. "Then I can assume you're still working with me?"

Demona snarled at him, but turned back to Brooklyn. She touched his shoulder, trying her best to appear gentle. "You have time traveled here, haven't you?" she asked. "I remember the phoenix flame coming for you."

"Yes," Brooklyn answered reluctantly. His pain and blood loss were making it too hard for him to resist Demona.

"Have you met Dr. Facilier?"

Brooklyn felt a bit confused, but suddenly realized she meant the Shadow Man. He turned his glare to him. "So you made it to France, huh?" he hissed. "How many people did you have to kill to live this long?"

Facilier smirked. "Please, I'd hate to intrude on your family reunion by making this about me."

Demona glared at him in annoyance before addressing Brooklyn again. "I know you have good reasons not to trust him," she said softly. "But he can help us. There is a castle here, much like Castle Wyvern. But it's infested with humans. If we can only get rid…"

"No!" Brooklyn snarled. "I'm done helping you."

Demona glared at him now. "I defended you from him!"

"But you're still going to work with him!" Brooklyn managed to say, his fury giving him some of his strength back. "You were right about one thing. I don't trust him. But it's for the _right_ reasons."

Demona's eyes flashed red momentarily, yet a moment later she calmed herself and got to her feet. "Come," she told Facilier. "He's useless to us."

Facilier stared at Brooklyn. "Wouldn't it be safer to finish him off?" He asked Demona. For all his previous smugness he did not dare attack Brooklyn again in front of her.

"No," Demona said heatedly.

"He knows about our plans now," Facilier pointed out to her.

"There's nothing he can do about it," Demona insisted. She bent down and picked up Brooklyn's sword. Brooklyn tried to make a grab for it, but his strength had left him again. Demona stood up, towering over Brooklyn and looking satisfied. "He can't face us alone."

Facilier shook his head at her, but got to his feet nonetheless. "You take too many chances," he whispered, more to himself than to her. Still, he followed her away from Brooklyn, and the two disappeared into the thicket.

Brooklyn looked back at his wounded side and wing. His blood was already dripping down his leg, and his upper torso felt warm and sticky. There was nothing he could do now but wait for the sun to heal him. Only a few more hours to go…

His heart was pounding. Now, at least, he knew for sure why the phoenix had sent him to Dunwyn. But Demona and Facilier were both, as Goliath might say, formidable enemies. With no one on his side, what could he do?


	8. Chapter 7: Portrait of a Gargoyle

**Chapter 7: Portrait of a Gargoyle**

Sunni tossed and turned in her bed, unable to find peace. The thought of an evil gargoyle threatening to attack the Gummies' home while an evil human was possibly threatening Dunwyn was bad enough, but she could not get the image of Brooklyn's hurt look out of her mind. What if Grammi was wrong about his being able to handle himself? Brooklyn was a stranger to the forest, and he was injured.

Unable to lie down anymore, Sunni jumped out of her bed and headed for Cubbi's room. She found her brother sitting in his bed, wide awake, staring at Buddi, who was sleeping in a sleeping bag on the floor at the foot of the bed. Sunni cautiously made her way towards Cubbi, taking care not to step on Buddi as she climbed onto her brother's bed.

Cubbi nodded to acknowledge her presence, knowing both of them were thinking the same thing. "I thought you'd be up too," Cubbi whispered.

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep," Sunni whispered back. "I'm really worried about Brooklyn."

"Me too," Cubbi replied. "I can't believe Gruffi wouldn't listen to him."

"But what can we do?" Sunni asked. "What if that Shadow Man or Demona find him before he's healed?"

Cubbi leaned over to make sure Buddi was still asleep. "Do you think we should go after him?"

Sunni expected this, but wasn't too thrilled with the idea. "It's too dangerous. Maybe we should talk to one of the adults."

"No, they'll just try to get us to drop it," Cubbi insisted. "You heard them, they don't trust Brooklyn like we do. We have to go ourselves." With that, he jumped out of his bed without thinking, and accidentally landed on Buddi, causing the young Barbic to wake up with a start.

"Oh, sorry, Buddi!" Cubbi whispered anxiously.

Buddi moaned as he rubbed the side of his body. "What are you doing up anyway?" he asked, glimpsing at Cubbi's bed as he did so. The minute he caught sight of Sunni, he sat up quickly, his face going a bit red. "Oh… hi, Sunni."

"Hi," Sunni replied as she carefully climbed down from the bed. "I'm sorry too, Buddi. We didn't mean to wake you. I just needed to talk to Cubbi about… something."

Buddi gave her a sympathetic smile. "About your gargoyle friend?"

Sunni and Cubbi exchanged looks. "Uh… yeah," Sunni told him. "Buddi… you do believe we can trust him, right?"

Buddi hesitated. "I think so," he replied. "I mean, I didn't really get a good look at him, so it's kind of hard to say…"

"He's a good guy!" Cubbi insisted. "We talked to him. I think Gruffi's just scared of him, that's why he doesn't trust him!"

"Ursa says the other gargoyle she met… that Demona… she's a real monster," Buddi informed them.

"We got that," Sunni said in frustration. "But Brooklyn hates her too. And we can't blame him for something a different gargoyle has done."

"Besides, we owe him one for saving our lives!" Cubbi said with determination.

"Wait a minute," Buddi got up from his sleeping bag. "Are you two planning to sneak out…?"

"We have too!" Sunni told him. "What if he can't defend himself with one wing? We can't just leave him like that!"

Buddi hesitated. As their friend, he should not allow them to go out into the forest alone at night, but he knew they would never consent to staying home while someone they considered a friend was hurt somewhere. "Okay, but I'm coming with you. The forest is too dangerous."

"No!" Cubbi argued. "Sunni and I know the forest better, we'd get there faster by ourselves."

"Besides," Sunni added in response to Buddi's offended look, "we need you to stay here and cover for us if someone starts asking questions."

Buddi lowered his eyes and sighed heavily. "Okay," he told them. "Just be careful."

"Thanks," Sunni gave him a quick hug. "We will." With that, she and Cubbi took off, not even bothering to get dressed.

Buddi sighed anxiously. If Sunni and Cubbi were going to risk their lives for that gargoyle, he hoped he was worth it.

* * *

Tummi sat at the main hall's table, forcing himself to stay awake. He hoped they wouldn't have to spend too many nights like this. Why did gargoyles have to be nocturnal? He sighed heavily and glanced at the clock. It was almost eleven thirty. Still over an hour until his watch was over.

Tummi sighed heavily. "I think I'm gonna need some food to finish this watch." With that, he headed for the kitchen to gather some supplies.

A few moments later, he heard a familiar voice call from the dining room. "Hey, Gummiamigoes? Anybody still up?"

"Gusto?" Tummi asked in surprise as he re-entered the main hall, carrying a basket with fruit, muffins and a water canteen. "What are you doing here this late?"

Gusto beamed at him, holding what looked to be his latest painting. "Sorry about the late hour, Tummer, but as you can see, the latest and greatest addition to the Gusto art gallery is ready for unveiling!"

"You couldn't wait until everyone was awake?" Tummi asked, hoping he didn't look too unimpressed.

"Well, actually," Gusto smiled sheepishly, "I would've been here earlier, but the model for this creation got away. I tried going after him for a while, but he was gone. So I figured I'd try and catch some zees, but I was just totally _consumed_ by this project, and couldn't put off showing it to someone a moment longer!"

Tummi sighed. "Well, I think the others are asleep right now."

Gusto looked disappointed for a split second, but instantly cheered up. "Oh, well, they can wait till tomorrow. At least you'll have the honor of being the first bear to see-" He held up the painting with the back of the canvas facing Tummi, "the creation I call-" He quickly flipped the painting around as he spoke the last words, "_Defender of the night_!"

Tummi gasped in amazement at what he saw, grabbing the painting from Gusto.

Gusto smiled. "Pause for applause," he whispered to himself.

Tummi stared hard at the painting. It featured the gargoyle who had escaped Gruffi's trap earlier that evening, the one the cubs called "Brooklyn." He was painted against Gusto Falls, posed as though attacking some invisible enemy. The background sky was dark, with just a hint of a dark purple line painted over the horizon, as though the sun had just set or was about to rise. In the upper corner of the painting was something that looked like a tiny flame in the shape of a bird Tummi didn't recognize, but he was more intrigued by the gargoyle. While he looked like a vicious fighter, Tummi thought his eyes looked somewhat sad. Had Gusto meant for them to come out that way?

"Gusto," Tummi asked nervously. "When did you meet this gargoyle?"

"Oh, good, so you know it's a gargoyle," Gusto replied happily. "It was the weirdest thing. Just this morning before sunrise, this firebird shows up, and drops this guy right next to the waterfall! The moment I saw him, I knew I found my-"

"I get it," Tummi told him, still staring at the painting. So Brooklyn had shown up in Dunwyn just before sunrise that morning, which must have meant he really did not come to Dunwyn with Demona. He was, at least, telling the truth about that, which probably also meant he was honest about not being in league with her. However strange Brooklyn's story had sounded earlier, the only thing that mattered to Tummi at that moment was that they had falsely accused the gargoyle, trapped and wounded him, and now who knows where he was?

"I've got to talk to Sunni and Cubbi," Tummi told Gusto as he returned the painting to him. "Can you wait here?"

"Sure," Gusto replied, sitting down and staring at the food basket. "Are you planning some all- night food party?"

Tummi didn't answer. He was already heading for Sunni's room. He knocked a few times, but when he heard no reply, he opened the door. He frowned. Sunni was not there.

"Better try Cubbi," he muttered to himself as he headed for the youngest bear's room. He knocked again, but Buddi's voice answered.

"Come in."

Tummi entered, and was surprised to find Buddi sitting up in his sleeping bag, looking very tense, while Cubbi's bed was empty.

"Buddi?" Tummi asked. "What's going on here? Where are Sunni and Cubbi?"

Buddi did not look surprised at the question, confirming Tummi's suspicion that the cubs were out somewhere together.

"They… I think they went out to keep watch or something," Buddi whispered, not meeting Tummi's eye.

"They know they don't have to do that," Tummi told him. "We all agreed to keep watch here, and they didn't believe this Brooklyn guy's dangerous."

Buddi groaned. He knew Tummi could tell he was lying. While he agreed to cover for Sunni and Cubbi, he had not thought of a good cover story. Truth be told, he still was not sure he was doing the right thing.

Tummi sat beside him, gently touching the young Barbic's shoulder. "Buddi, do you know if they've gone somewhere?"

Buddi shook his head. "I don't know where they are," he said.

Tummi sighed. "Buddi, if they went out at night, they could be in trouble. If you know something, I think you should tell me."

Buddi squirmed a bit. "I promised I wouldn't tell…"

This was all the proof Tummi needed, but he still asked, "Did they go out to find Brooklyn?"

Buddi looked up at him. "You won't tell them I told you, will you?"

Tummi smiled at him. "Well, you didn't actually tell me, right?"

Buddi gave him a nervous smile. "So what now?"

"Leave it to me," Tummi reassured him. "I'll go after them."

Tummi headed back to the main hall, pleased to see Gusto was still there, wide awake.

"Are the kids sleeping too hard?" Gusto asked, smirking.

"No," Tummi told him. "They've gone out somewhere. I have to go find them."

"They what?" Gusto instantly stopped smiling.

"Do me a favor," Tummi said, hoping Gusto won't prolong the subject. "At one, Zummi's supposed to have the watch, so could you stay and make sure he's up?"

"What are you guys watching for?" Gusto asked.

"Gargoyles," Tummi answered. "I'll explain later."

"Okay," Gusto agreed. "But what should I tell him about Sunni and Cubbi?"

"Don't say anything unless you have to," Tummi replied. "They've gone to find that gargoyle in your painting. It's a long story."

Gusto still looked confused, but he nodded as Tummi turned to leave. A moment later, Tummi turned around and headed back for the main hall's table to grab the food basket.

"They might be hungry," Tummi explained to Gusto as he grabbed a muffin from the basket and started munching on it as he left.

* * *

Sunni and Cubbi pushed up the top of a tree stump, climbing out of the quick tunnel below. They glanced around nervously. The forest was not a pleasant place to hang around in such a late hour. Every little movement made the cubs jump. They expected the shadow they had seen earlier to jump at them again at any moment.

"This is the third stop in this forest," Cubbi moaned. "I hope we find him soon."

"Well, third time's a charm," Sunni piped up, trying to remain calm. "He can't be much further if his wing's hurt."

"Are you sure he was heading towards Dunwyn Castle?" Cubbi asked.

Sunni nodded. "He seemed to expect to find the Shadow Man there. But it doesn't help us if he doesn't know the forest well enough."

Cubbi sighed. "I guess we should search around here too."

They spent several minutes searching behind the trees and checking out the roads ahead, but to no avail. Finally, Cubbi spotted a nearby bush, and signaled Sunni to follow him toward it. As the cubs reached it, Sunni pulled back the branches, and gasped in alarm. Cubbi quickly pulled away some of the lower branches to see what was wrong, and became momentarily frozen in his tracks.

Brooklyn was lying on the ground several feet away, looking quite worse for wear. His wing was still scratched and bleeding, but the worst of his injuries was a large gash in the side of his body. He was breathing heavily, occasionally emitting weak, painful moans. It looked as though he had already lost a lot of blood.

"Brooklyn!" Sunni cried out as she ran to his side, Cubbi following. She crouched by the injured gargoyle. "What happened to you?"

Brooklyn forced himself to look at her. "Is it… almost… sunrise?" He managed to ask between pants.

"No," Sunni told him softly. "It's only about midnight."

Brooklyn groaned, looking almost tearful. "I won't… I won't make it…"

"Don't say that!" Cubbi said anxiously. "We'll help you… you just need someone to treat those wounds for you…"

"We have to get you to the Glen," Sunni said, gently smoothing Brooklyn's hair. "I'm sure Grammi or Zummi will help you…"

"Sunni, we can't fit him into the quick car!" Cubbi reminded her.

Brooklyn tried to raise his head, but the movement made him dizzy. He was sure he was hallucinating. He could've sworn Cubbi said _car_. "Listen," he tried to warn them, but his voice was too faint. "I have to tell you something…"

Unable to hear him, Sunni shook her head in despair, tearing a piece from her nightdress just large enough to place on Brooklyn's deeper wound. She pressed it there, trying to stop the bleeding. "That's all I can do right now," she whispered. "But we have to think of something…"

"I can go for help," Cubbi suggested.

"You can't go alone!" Sunni told him.

Cubbi glared at her. "I'm not scared!"

Before Sunni could answer, the three of them heard a movement behind the bush. Cubbi jumped back, startled. Sunni pressed harder on Brooklyn's wound, hoping she would not be forced to leave him.

The bush's branches were pulled back, and to the cubs' immense relief, Tummi had stepped out from behind it, carrying a food basket.

"There you are!" Tummi told them, sounding equally as relieved to find them. "I was getting worried I wouldn't find you before Demona did."

Brooklyn watched Tummi kneel beside Sunni out of the corner of his eye, feeling a bit nervous. He barely remembered this Gummi bear from their last meeting, and had no idea how he would treat him.

But Tummi did not seem suspicious of him anymore. "Is he okay?" he asked Sunni in concern.

"Not really," Sunni answered grimly. "Tummi, how did you find us here?"

"Well, it was pretty easy," Tummi answered. "I realized you two had gone after Brooklyn, so I figured you'd be somewhere in the forest on the way to Dunwyn. I took another quick car to check by the escape tunnels on the way." He then turned his attention back to Brooklyn and touched his shoulder gently. "What happened to you? You weren't hurt this badly when you left us."

Brooklyn couldn't answer. He was barely able to stay conscious.

"Okay, you can tell us later," Tummi told him. "You'd better save your strength now." He pulled the cloth off his food basket and pulled out a water canteen, gingerly pouring some down Brooklyn's beak.

Brooklyn swallowed, smiling weakly in gratitude. "Thanks."

Tummi lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry about earlier," he said softly. "We all should've believed you when you said you weren't working with Demona."

At the mention of his hated enemy, Brooklyn remembered he still hadn't told the bears of her plans to attack Dunwyn with the Shadow Man. If he warned the bears, perhaps they could do something about that, even if he couldn't. Was this why the phoenix had allowed him to meet the Gummi bears? Were they meant to carry on the mission of protecting the people in case he couldn't?

"Listen…" Brooklyn tried to speak, but his voice now was not only faint, it was tight. While he knew he had to make sure the humans were protected, telling the bears the danger was as good as admitting he would die before sunrise. "I have to… she's going to…" He couldn't get the words out. Now, more than ever, he wished he were back with his clan. The thought of dying among strangers suddenly felt frightening.

"Hey, come on…" Cubbi sat beside Brooklyn as he noticed the gargoyle's eyes filling with tears. "We said we'll help you, you'll be okay…"

Brooklyn made an effort to dry his eyes. "I'm sorry…" he managed to say. "I don't usually…"

Sunni leaned closer to him, hugging him gently. "It's okay."

Tummi gave him a sympathetic smile. "It must be hard for you to deal with this alone," he said, remembering what Brooklyn told them about being separated from his clan. He fiddled with the food basket for a moment, pulling out a sweet-smelling bran muffin. "Maybe a snack will cheer you up."

Brooklyn looked up, caught off guard. "What?" he asked tearfully.

"Tummi!" Sunni scolded. It probably seemed tactless to the gargoyle to discuss food at a time like this. "I'm sorry, food's usually his answer to problems," she told Brooklyn.

"No, it's okay…" Brooklyn calmed down a little. "It's just… there's someone just like that in my clan." He let Tummi feed him the muffin. It was a bit dry, but the sweet taste gave him enough strength to move a little.

Sunni tried to think of something comforting to say, but instantly panicked as she noticed the cloth she had pressed against Brooklyn was now soaked in blood. "Oh no!" she cried out. "We've lost too much time! We have to get him home somehow!"

"Tummi," Cubbi piped up. "If you brought another quick car, maybe we can get him back to the Glen."

"That's right!" Sunni agreed, realizing what Cubbi had in mind. "We can tie the cars together, and Brooklyn can ride in an empty one."

Tummi glanced at Brooklyn. "I don't know, he's a little too big to sit in a car."

"It's worth a try," Cubbi insisted.

Sunni turned to the gargoyle. "Brooklyn? Do you think you can stand a short ride in a quick car?"

Brooklyn took a deep breath. "I guess so," he managed to say. When the bears turned away from him momentarily to discuss the details, he added softly, "I didn't think they had cars in the fourteenth century."

Several moments later, the Gummies carried Brooklyn to their escape tunnel, which was barely wide enough for him to fit through. Among the three of them, he was not too heavy. The hardest part was to make sure the tunnel's walls didn't brush against his wound, around which Tummi had tied the cloth from the basket to keep from bleeding further.

Another difficulty was the car itself. Brooklyn barely hid his astonishment at the sight of what the bears called a quick car, which turned out to be a wooden contraption resembling a trailer of a roller-coaster with a hawk's design. The seat was a bit too small for him to sit in upright, but he managed to lie on top of the car, clutching the sides with his claws. After the cubs tied the two cars together with a rope found in one of the trunks, they used some of it to tie Brooklyn to the car as an extra precaution.

"You're going to need this," Sunni told him. "These cars go pretty fast."

"I hope he can take it," Tummi told the younger bears as the three of them climbed to the car in the front. "It's got to be dangerous to dangle him that fast in his condition."

With that, he pulled the lever, and the car moved forward, dragging the rear car with it.

Brooklyn clutched the sides of the car tighter, for a moment feeling the ride wasn't too bad. It didn't last, though. Within a few seconds, the cars started to pick up speed, and in less than a minute, he could no longer distinguish his surroundings. The car was going so fast he was sure he would fall off. If he had the strength, he would've screamed. While the muffin he ate earlier restored some of his energy, he now wished he had not eaten anything.

Luckily, the cubs were right that the ride wouldn't last long. Apparently, they were not too far from Gummi Glen, and just as Brooklyn was on the verge of yelling for them to pull over, the cars slowed down until they stopped.

"Here we are," Cubbi told Brooklyn as the three bears climbed out of their car and hurried to untie him. "Are you feeling okay?"

It took a moment for the bears to persuade Brooklyn to let go of the car. They grabbed his arms and pulled him to the floor.

"I'm not…doing… this… again…" Brooklyn managed to say between pants, just before he fainted.


End file.
